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THE  MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •    BOSTON   ■    CHICAGO  -    DALLAS 
ATLANTA   •    SAN    FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  ■  BOMBAY  •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


BY 


MARY   F.   CAHILL,  B.S. 

CHAIRMAN    OF    THE    DEPARTMKXT    OF    STENOGRAPHY    AND 

TYPEWRITING,    JTLIA    RI(  HMAN    HIGH    SCHOOL 

NEW    YORK    CITY 


ASSISTED    BY 

AGNES   C.   RUGGERI 

INSTROCTOR    IN    THE    DEPARTMENT    OF    STENOGRAPHY    AND 
TYPEWRITING,    JULIA    RICHMAN    HIGH    SCHOOL 


46861 

THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

1917 

All  riffhts  reserved 


Copyright,  1917, 
By   the   MACMILLAN    COMPANY. 

Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  April,  1917. 
Reprinted  September,  191 7. 


XorSuooa  ^xtss 

J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


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PREFACE 

This  book  reflects  the  knowledge  that  was  acquired  by  its 
writers  during  an  apprenticeship  of  many  years  in  busitiess  prior 
to  taking  up  the  profession  of  teaching,  and  the  use  to  which 
that  knowledge  was  put  in  originating  and  developing  a  course 
in  Office  Practice  in  the  school  with  which  they  are  connected. 

If  some  matters  that  are  obvious  to  the  adult  mind  are  treated 
in  much  detail,  it  may  be  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  naivete  of 
students  of  high  school  age  towards  the  simplest  forms  of  office 
work  makes  it  necessary  to  begin  instruction  upon  the  assumption 
that  students  know  practically  nothing  about  the  mechanism  of  an 
office  or  the  details  of  its  work. 

The  average  high  school  student  is  fairly  well  equipped  with  a 
general  elementary  education  when  he  enters  business,  but  his 
capabilities  are  heavily  discounted  by  business  men  because  he 
is  not  familiar  with  the  details  of  office  work  and  the  uses  of  office 
equipment.  Moreover,  business  men  do  not  care  to  be  subjected 
to  the  loss  of  valuable  time  and  the  annoyances  occasioned  through 
being  forced  to  teach  young  employees  things  that  could  be  covered 
in  practical  commercial  courses.  It  must  be  rather  discouraging 
for  the  young  graduate  to  learn,  when  he  enters  business  life,  that 
his  stenography  and  typewriting  and  bookkeeping  are  but  a  few 
'of  the  many  things  that  he  is  expected  to  know. 

Definitely  organized  courses  in  general  office  training  should 
be  a  part  of  the  work  of  every  commercial  high  school.  The 
greatest  care  should  be  exercised  by  the  organizers  of  these  courses 
to  limit  them  to  things  that  arc  essential  and  that  are  typical  of 


vi  PREFACE 

a  wcll-orjjanizod  office.  Whore  possible,  the  classes  should  be 
launlit  by  teachers  who  have  had  actual  business  experience. 
The  aim  of  such  courses  should  be,  not  the  immediate  devel- 
opment of  executives,  but  the  training  of  students  to  become 
intelligent  and  dependable  subordinates  who  will  possess  the 
initiative  that  may  enable  them,  through  the  experience  they 
will  acquii'e  in  business,  to  rise  later  to  executive  positions. 

The  sections  on  telegrams  and  cablegrams,  telephone,  filing, 
and  directories  have  been  read  and  approved  by  recognized 
authorities  in  the  respective  fields.  Grateful  acknowledgment 
is  made  for  the  interest  shown  and  valuable  criticisms  and  sugges- 
tions offered  by  the  following  gentlemen :  Messrs.  F.  W.  Lienau 
and  Joseph  Tausek  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company; 
Mr.  Allen  B.  Stearns  of  the  New  York  Telephone  Company ; 
Mr.  A.  J.  Amberg  of  the  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company ;  Mr. 
Hugh  P.  Shilstone  of  the  Library  Bureau ;  and  Mr.  R.  L.  Folk 
of  R.  L.  Polk  &  Company. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  list  the  institutions,  publishing 
houses,  and  business  firms  that  contributed  letters,  specimen 
pages,  extracts,  photographs,  electrot^'pes,  and  maps  for  use  as 
illustrative  material,  but  their  cooperation  and  generosity  are  here 
gratefully  acknowledged,  and  the  sources  of  the  material  so  sup- 
plied are  noted  as  they  appear  in  the  text. 

Miss  Cahill  is  indebted  to  IMiss  Agnes  C.  Ruggeri  for  valuable 
assistance  in  the  work  of  organizing  the  classes  in  Office  Practice, 
for  her  contribution  of  the  sections  on  Incoming  Mail  and  on 
Filing,  and  for  collaboration  in  the  sections  on  Outgoing  Mail; 
also  to  Mr.  John  B.  Opdycke,  Chairman  of  the  Department  of 
English,  Julia  Richman  High  School,  for  his  kindness  in  editing  the 
proof  and  for  valuable  suggestions  while  the  work  was  in  progress ; 
and  to  Dr.  Arthur  M.  Wolfson,  the  Principal,  for  his  hearty  and 
effective  cooperation  in  the  organization  of  pioneer  work  in  this 
subject. 

New  York,  March,  1917. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Preface  ............  v 

To  THE  Student     ..........  xiii 

PART   I 
OFFICE   MAIL  —  INCOMING 

SECTION 

1.  Opening  the  Mail    .........  1 

2.  Examining  the  Mail         ........  3 

3.  Sorting  the  Mail     .........  5 

4.  Dating  the  Mail      .........  9 

5.  Systematizing  the  Work          .......  11 


PART   II 
OFFICE    MAIL  — OUTGOING 

1.  Dictating  the  Correspondence 

2.  Typewriting  the  Correspondence 

3.  Mailing  the  Correspondence 

4.  Expediting  the  Correspondence     . 

5.  Copying  the  Correspondence 


16 
26 

47 
56 
58 


PART   III 
OFFICE    RECORDS  —  FILING 


1.  Office  Records 

2.  Correspondence  P'iling- 

3.  Correspondence  Filing- 

4.  Miscellaneous  Records 


Flat  Systems 
Vertical  Systems 


66 

71 

77 

100 


VI 11 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


PART   IV 
OPTICE    TELEPHONE 


HKCTION 

1.  Tklki'iione  Manners 

2.  Opkhatino  the  Telephone 

.'i.  Making  and  Answering  Calls 
4.  Equipping  the  Desk  or  Booth 
T).    Lnstalling  the  Telephone 


114 
118 
126 
131 
134 


PART  V 
OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS 

1.  Introduction     .... 

2.  Classes  of  Service  —  Telegrams 

3.  Classes  of  Service  —  Cablegrams 

4.  Code  Systems    .... 

5.  Writing  the  Message 
().  Sending  the  Message 
7.  Paying  for  the  Message 

PART  VI 
OFFICE   TIME   AND    LABOR   SAVERS 

1.  Machines  for  the  Correspondence  Department 

2.  Machines  for  the  Financial  Department    . 

3.  Miscellaneous  Machines 


142 
144 
156 
163 
166 
170 
171 


184 
194 
200 


PART   VII 
OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS 

1.  Directories        ........ 

2.  Reference  Books      ....... 

APPENDIX 

Domestic  and  Foreign  Mail  Classification  and  Rates 
Commercial  Abbreviations  ...... 


202 
215 


235 
240 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Rubber  Dating  Stamp 10 

Clock  Dating  Machine      .         .         .         .      '  .         .         .         .         .10 

Desk  Arranged  for  Opening  Mail  (diagram) 13 

Letter-Heads     ...........        17 

Envelopes,  Addressed        .........        19 

Envelopes,  Addressed        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .21 

Letter,  The  National  City  Bank 27 

Letter,  The  Macmillan  Company      .         .         .         .         .         .         .31 

Letter,  Marshall  Field  &  Company  ......       33 

Envelope,  Window    ..........       34 

Letter,  B.  Altman  &  Co.  ........       37 

Letter,  The  University  of  Chicago    ........       40 

Letter,  University  of  California         .         .         .         .         .         .         .43 

Letter,  Marshall  Field  &  Company  ......       45 

Domestic  Money  Order,  Application  for  ......       49 

Folding  Machine 51 

Moistening  Device  .........       52 

Sealing  Machine        ..........       52 

Postal  Scale 54 

Letter-Press      ...........       59 

Letter-Press  Bath      ......         ...»       60 

Roller-Copier  with  Bath  .........       63 

Roller-Copier  without  Bath      .....         ...       64 

Filing  Room 68 

Box  File 72 

Flat  or  Loose  Sheet  Drawer      ........       73 

Shannon  File     .         .         .         .        • 74 

Shannon  Indexes       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .75 

Transferring  Shannon  Correspondence      ......       76 

Vertical  Guides  ..........       77 

Folder 77 

ix 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


p'ollow*'!-  Block 

Small  Ali)l)al)ctic'  Index 

Avorafirt'  Alphahctie  Index 

Large  Alphal)etie  Index 

Individual  Folders    . 

Index  Showing  "Leader"  Guides 

Sorting  Box  or  Distributor 

Out  Guide         .... 

Numbered  Guides     . 

Numbered  Folders    . 

Cards  for  Numeric  Filing 

Cross-reference  Cards 

Combination  Alphabetic  and  Numeric  System 

State  and  Alphabetic  Index 

State  and  Town  Index 

Straight  Tow^n  Index 

Architect's  Subject  File    . 

Numeric  Subject  Filing 

Follow-up  Drawer     ... 

Cabinet  Used  for  Old  Correspondence 

Transfer  Case  with  Contents     . 

Loose-leaf  Book         .... 

Cards  Showdng  Different  Styles  of  Ruling 

Card  Index  Guides    .... 

Card  Index  Cabinet 

Employees'  Record  Card 

School  Record  Card  (front  and  reverse) 

Catalogue  Cabinet    .... 

Catalogue  Record  Card  (with  name  of  vendor) 

Catalogue  Record  Card  (with  name  of  article) 

Lawyer's  Record  Card 

Factory  Cost  Record  Card 

Desk  Tickler     . 

Magazine  Subscription  Record  Card 

Follow-up  Card 

Signals  or  Indicators 

First  Telephone 

Chelsea  Exchange,  New  York  City 

Central  Operator 

Information  Operators  at  Work 

Desk  Extension 


90 

91 

91 

93 

94 

97 

99 

100 

101 

102 

103 

103 

104 

105,   106 

107 

108 

108 

109 

110 

110 

111 

111 

112 

115 

116 

119 

122 

133 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS  xi 

PAGE 

Operating  a  Cord  Switchboard  ......  136 

Monitor  Switchboard         .........  137 

Telephone  Bills 138 

Telephone  Statements       .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  140 

Telegraph  Form  (front  and  reverse)  ......  145 

Telegraph  Squares    ..........  144 

Mareonigram  Form  (front  and  reverse)     .....     152,  153 

Mareonigram  Square         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .153 

Map  Showing  Standard  Time  ........  154 

Cable  Check 156 

Cable  Form  (front  and  reverse)         .......  157 

Gelatin  Duplicator    ..........  186 

Mimeograph      .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .  187 

Multigraph  (Printing  Drum)     ........  188 

Addressing  Machine  .........  191 

Metal  Plate 192 

Dictaphone       ...........  193 

Listing  Machine        ..........  195 

Non-listing  Machine  .........  196 

Bookkeeping  Machine       .........  197 

Hollerith  Machine  (Distributor  and  Card) 199 

Western  Union  Trans-Atlantic  Cables  and  Connections     Inside  back  cover 


TO   THE   STUDENT 

When  one  of  the  world's  preeminent  geniuses  said,  "  Genius  is  only  an 
infinite  capacity  for  taking  pains,"  he  spoke  for  the  world  of  art  and  music 
and  letters  in  which  he  lived  his  life.  He  little  knew  how  much  truer  the 
epigram  would  be  when  applied  to  business  genius  in  the  twentieth  cen- 
tury. The  examples  are  all  around  us.  You  have  watched  many  men 
mount,  step  by  step,  the  ladder  of  success.  There  seems  no  special  reason, 
no  dazzling  genius ;  yet  up  they  go,  carried  by  the  force  of  their  faculties 
for  doing  small  things  well. 

From  Letter  Builders'  Tools,  Alexander  Hamilton  Institute. 

This  book  is  just  an  attempt  to  teach  you  to  do  some  small  things 
well ;  but  there  are  a  few  matters  in  connection  with  office  duties 
that  have  not  been  mentioned  because  they  cannot  really  be  classed 
among  the  small  things.  They  are  rather  the  small  things  that 
help  so  materially  to  make  the  big  man  or  woman. 

What  are  these  "  small-big  "  things  ? 

The  day  you  enter  a  business  house,  make  up  your  mind  that  you 
are  going  to  work  for  your  employer's  interests  as  you  would  work 
for  your  own.  This  is  cooperation.  In  the  long  run,  the  success 
of  your  employer  means  success  for  you.  He  may  not  seem  to 
apprecia.te  your  work,  but  do  not  forget  that  every  man  who  has 
a  business  of  his  own  or  who  occupies  an  executive  position  has 
many  worries  that  may  occupy  his  mind  for  long  periods  of  time,  to 
the  apparent  exclusion  of  a  proper  consideration  of  your  interests. 
That  is  the  price  he  pays  for  his  success.  That  is  the  price  that  you, 
too,  will  some  day  be  called  upon  to  pay  because  you  were  ambitious 
and  because  you  have  succeeded. 


xiv  TO  THE   STUDENT 

Expect  to  meet  rebuffs  and  disappointments.  No  one  ever  ad- 
vanced who  could  not  rise  above  them,  and  you  must  not  hope  to  be 
the  great  exception.  In  time,  good  work  will  be  appreciated  by  the 
average  man;  but  so  long  as  you  are  content  to  accept  the  salary 
he  is  willing  to  pay,  be  loyal  and  work  for  his  interests.  If,  after 
viewing  the  matter  from  every  angle,  you  are  convinced  that  you  are 
not  being  treated  properly,  change  your  position.  But  make  it  a 
point  of  honor  never  to  discuss  your  employer's  business  affairs  with 
outsiders  or  with  fellow  employees  who  are  not  entitled  to  know 
them. 

Be  truthful.     Truthfulness  is  a  good  business  asset. 

Be  studious.  Be  a  student  all  your  life  —  not  necessarily  of  books, 
but  of  men  and  women.  The  men  and  women  that  are  around  you 
are  the  most  interesting  books  you  could  read.  Understanding 
people  means  getting  on  with  them,  and  is  one  of  the  qualities  that 
must  be  possessed  by  every  one  who  is  ambitious  to  succeed. 

Be  receptive.     Never  permit  yourself  to  become  too  old  to  learn. 

Don't  be  a  knocker.  Knocking  is  a  trait  that  you  cannot  afford  to 
possess.     If  you  cannot  say  something  pleasant,  say  nothing. 

Don't  be  a  shirker.  It  takes  less  time  to  do  things  well  than  it 
often  takes  to  avoid  doing  them. 

Don't  be  a  coivard.  Face  your  difficulties.  The  whole  business 
world  is  a  web  as  intricate  and  as  puzzling  on  first  appearance  as  is 
the  spider's  web ;  but  if  looked  at  closely,  it  will  be  found,  like  the 
spider's  web,  to  be  a  perfect  system  of  complications  and  intricacies 
that  may  be  understood. 

These  are  some  things  that  count  very  much  in  business  —  the 
things  that  make  up  personality  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word. 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 

PART   I 
OFFICE   MAIL  —  INCOMING 

Section  1     Opening  the  Mail 

Mechanical  Devices' 

Section  2    Examining  the  Mail 

Looking  for  the  Signature 
Checldng  Enclosures 

Section  3    Sorting  the  Mail 

Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Small 
Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Large 
Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Enormous 

Section  4    Dating  the  Mail 

Mechanical  Devices     "^ 

Section  5    Systematizing  the  Work 

Applied  to  Incoming  Mail 

SECTION    1 

OPENING   THE    MAIL 

The  one  office  activity  which  touches  every  business,  great  or 

small,  is  the  handling  of  correspondence  —  the  everyday  task  of 

getting  out  the  mail  on  time  and  in  the  best  possible  shape. 

Edward  Mott  Woolley,  The  Library  of  Business  Practice. 

The  task  of  taking  care  of  the  mail  resolves  itself  into  two  prob- 
lems—  the  efficient  handling  of  the  mail  that  comes  into  the  office 
and  of  the  mail  that   goes  out.     The  incoming  mail    must   be 
B  1 


2  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

quickly  and  correctly  distributed  to  the  proper  departments,  so 
that  no  time  shall  be  lost  in  carrying  on  the  transactions  involved. 
This  element  of  time  is  a  very  important  consideration  in  modern 
business.  Men  plan  the  saving  of  time  to-day  as  carefully  as 
they  once  planned  the  saving  of  money.  Let  us  consider  this 
problem,  which  is  often  in  the  hands  of  the  youngest  clerk  in 
the  office. 

How  to  handle  the  incoming  mail  of  any  office  depends  largely 
upon  the  nature  of  the  business  and  its  volume.  On  the  one  hand, 
there  is  the  mail  of  the  professional  man,  so  limited  in  quantity  and 
of  such  nature  as  to  call  for  his  personal  attention.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  is  the  mail  of  any  large  corporation,  averaging  some- 
times as  much  as  four  tons  a  day.  Between  the  two,  there  are 
numberless  grades  of  difference  in  the  volume  of  mail  handled  by 
different  houses. 

The  clerk  who  knows  how  to  handle  the  mail  of  the  average 
business  office,  who  understands  how  to  use  the  more  common 
mechanical  devices,  and  who  so  plans  his  work  as  to  be  able  to 
handle  the  duties  of  his  clerkship  with  the  maximum  efficiency, 
will  experience  no  difficulty  whatever  in  adapting  himself  to  the 
methods  in  vogue  in  any  office.  It  is  the  purpose  of  this  book  to 
familiarize  students  with  the  procedure  of  the  average  business 
office. 

Mechanical  Devices 

In  opening  envelopes,  care  must  be  taken  not  to  cut  through 
checks  or  similar  enclosures.  To  avoid  this,  the  safest  instrument 
to  use  is  the  ordinary  envelope  opener  or  paper  cutter.  Some 
clerks  prefer  scissors.  Where  the  volume  of  correspondence  is 
large,  slitting  machines  are  sometimes  employed. 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

Name  and  describe  briefly  the  various  devices  used  for  opening  en- 
velopes. 

What  precautions  would  you  observe  to  prevent  letters  or  enclosures 
from,  being  damaged  while  envelopes  are  being  opened? 


OP^FICE  MAIL— INCOMING  3 

SECTION   2 

EXAMINING   THE   MAIL 

When  all  the  envelopes  have  been  opened,  the  contents  of  each 
should  be  removed  and  examined.  Care  must  be  taken  to  see 
that  everything  has  been  removed  from  the  envelope.  An  experi- 
enced mail  clerk  will  hold  each  envelope  between  him  and  the 
light  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure. 

Looking  for  the  Signature 

In  glancing  through  the  opened  letter,  look  for  the  signature. 
Through  oversight,  this  may  have  been  omitted.  Business  letters 
are  usually  written  on  printed  or  engraved  letter-heads  which 
give  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer,  but  occasionally  a  com- 
munication is  received  which  has  been  written  on  plain  paper  and 
from  which  the  signature  has  been  omitted.  The  writer's  name 
may  or  may  not  appear  on  the  envelope,  but  the  stamp  of  the  post- 
office  will  appear,  and  in  such  cases  it  is  advisable  to  attach  the 
envelope  to  the  letter.  The  department  receiving  the  letter  may 
be  able  to  determine  by  the  post-office  address  and  the  nature 
of  the  communication,  from  which  of  its  correspondents  it  has 
come. 

Checking  Enclosures 

Reading  the  letter  quickly,  with  a  view  to  sorting  and  checking 
enclosures,  is  the  next  step. 

General  Enclosures. — Ordinarily,  when  there  are  general  en- 
closures, the  letter  will  state  "  We  are  enclosing  "  or  "  We  send 
herewith  "  such  and  such  printed  matter  or  pamphlets,  or  the 
enclosures  may  be  listed  at  the  bottom  of  the  letter.  The  simplest 
method  of  noting  the  receipt  of  such  enclosures  is  to  make  a  pencil 
check  through  the  words  "  printed  matter  "  or  "  pamphlet." 
All  enclosures  of  a  general  nature  should  be  attached  to  the  letter, 
before  being  transmitted  to  the  proper  department. 

Money    Enclosures.  —  In    whatever  form   received    (whether 


4  OFFICE  PRACTICE 

stamps,  currency,  money  orders,  or  drafts),  money  enclosures,  to- 
gether with  the  bill,  voucher,  or  other  paper  explaining  the  remit- 
tance, are  usually  turned  over  to  the  cashier  or  to  some  similar 
official.  If  a  letter  accompanying  a  remittance  requires  the  atten- 
tion of  some  department  other  than  the  cashier's,  the  money  is 
sent  to  the  cashier  and  the  letter  to  the  other  department.  If 
the  letter  contains  any  reference  to  the  enclosure  of  the  remit- 
tance, this  reference  is  checked,  the  clerk  noting  whether  the 
amounts  agree.  If  they  do,  it  is  customary  for  the  mail  clerk  to 
note  the  fact  on  the  face  of  the  letter. 

Omissions.  —  Where  a  letter  states  that  certain  papers  or  articles 
are  enclosed  and  the  clerk  finds  that  they  have  been  omitted,  he 
should  note  that  fact  on  the  face  of  the  letter  or  on  a  slip  of 
paper  which  he  will  attach  to  the  letter. 

Separate  Cover.  —  It  often  happens  that  a  letter  will  refer  to 
catalogues,  pamphlets,  samples,  or  other  material  too  bulky  to  be 
enclosed  in  an  envelope,  but  which  are  being  mailed  under  sepa- 
rate cover.  This  m'eans  that  the  material  has  been  wrapped  in 
a  separate  package.  It  may  arrive  with  the  letter,  in  which  case 
it  will  be  turned  over  to  the  proper  department  at  once.  How- 
ever, as  such  material  is  not  first-class  mail  and  is  subject  to 
delay  in  delivery,  it  may  not  arrive  for  several  mails  after  the 
letter.  (Note  Postal  Regulations  in  Appendix.)  If  the  volume 
of  mail  is  small,  the  mail  clerk  will  probably  remember  for  which 
department  it  is  intended.  If  the  volume  of  mail  is  large,  and 
many  packages  are  received,  it  may  be  advisable  for  him  to 
keep  a  list  like  the  following : 


Mail  Expected  under  Separate  Cover 

Article 

From  Whom 

Date  of  Letter 

Department 

Date  when 
Received 

Catalogue 

Tickets 
Catalogue 

Jones,  John 
Brown,  D.  W. 
Rex  Mfg.  Co. 

Jan.  17, 1917 
Jan.  19,  1917 
Jan.  19,  1917 

Sundries 
Manager's  OflBce 
Bookkeeping 

Jan.  20 

OFFICE   MAIL— INCOMING  5 

This  will  enable  the  clerk  to  deliver  such  mail  to  the  proper  de- 
partment immediately  upon  its  receipt  and  to  avoid  unnecessary 
loss  of  time  in  looking  up  the  matter.  If,  in  addition,  he  checks 
his  lists  daily,  he  will  be  in  position  to  remind  the  different  depart- 
ments to  write  for  duplicates  of  articles  lost  in  the  mail. 

Express  and  Freight.  —  Except  in  a  few  lines  of  business 
employing  very  small  office  forces,  articles  sent  by  express  and 
freight  will  not  be  received  by  the  clerk  who  opens  the  mail.  It 
will  be  well  for  the  mail  clerk  to  give  to  the  receiving  department 
or  shipping  clerk  a  list  of  such  articles,  using  for  this  purpose  a 
form  like  that  illustrated  above. 

The  keeping  of  such  records  as  these  saves  time,  preserves 
order  in  the  office  routine,  and  tends  towards  that  efficiency  which 
is  so  insistently  demanded  in  the  business  world  to-day. 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

What  is  meant  by  "under  separate  cover"? 

A  letter  is  received  written  on  plain  paper  and  contained  in  a  plain 
envelope.  The  signature  is  indicated,  but  the  street  address  and  city 
have  been  omitted.     How  will  you  identify  this  letter? 

Explain  briefly  how  you  would  handle  enclosures  contained  in  letters. 

Letters  are  received  daily  referring  to  packages  sent  by  express  or 
freight.     How  will  you  take  care  of  these? 

If  a  letter  received  refers  to  an  enclosure  which  is  omitted,  what  will 
you  do? 

Name  three  forms  in  which  a  remittance  may  be  sent  through  the 
mails. 

SECTION   3 

SORTING  THE   MAIL 

Sorting  mail  means  dividing  it  into  groups.  Mail  is  usually 
sorted  into  groups  of  papers  intended  for  the  individuals  or  de- 
partments of  a  business  house. 

Again,  each  department  may  require  mail  to  be  re-sorted  accord- 
ing to  the  address  of  the  writer,  the  subject  matter  of  the  letter, 
or  in  some  other  way  that  will  facilitate  the  answering  of  the 


6  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

mail.  The  method  of  sorting  will,  of  course,  vary  according  to 
the  nature  and  volume  of  the  correspondence,  the  number  of 
members  in  the  firm,  or  departments  of  the  business. 

While  letters  intended  for  a  business  house  are  usually  addressed 
to  the  house,  and  not  to  individuals  on  its  stafiF,  still  it  is  a  com- 
mon practice  to  mention,  in  a  prominent  place  on  the  face  of  the 
letter,  the  name  of  the  person  for  whom  it  is  intended,  or  the 
title  of  the  department.  When  this  is  not  done,  the  mail  clerk 
must  obtain  this  information  by  reading  the  letter. 

Where  a  letter  requires  the  attention  of  several  people,  the  mail 
clerk  usually  indicates  in  the  upper  right  or  left-hand  corner  of  the 
letter  the  names  of  all  the  people  concerned.  Each  person  in 
turn  attends  to  his  part  of  the  letter,  checks  his  name,  and  passes 
the  letter  to  the  next  person  interested.  Sometimes  the  corre- 
spondents of  a  department  are  numbered,  and  the  mail  clerk  then 
uses  the  number  of  each  man  instead  of  his  name. 

The  inexperienced  mail  clerk  in  an  office  should  begin  by 
making  a  list  of  the  departments  and  individual  members  of  the 
staff  interested  in  the  correspondence  of  the  house,  with  their 
duties,  and  keep  this  memorandum  before  him  until  he  is  so 
familiar  with  the  organization  that  he  no  longer  requires  it. 

Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Small 

Where  the  volume  of  mail  is  small,  as  in  the  office  of  the  pro- 
fessional man  or  in  the  small  business  office,  where  only  a  few 
clerks  are  employed,  the  following  division  may  be  found  prac- 
ticable : 

1.  Letters  ready  for  immediate  reply; 

2.  Letters  which  call  for  inspection  of  previous  correspondence 
or  other  information  before  they  can  be  answered. 

While  the  clerk  or  stenographer  is  busy  obtaining  the  data 
required  for  the  second  lot,  the  first  can.be  handed  to  the  proper 
person  for  consideration. 


OFFICE  MAIL— INCOMING  7 

Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Large 

In  larger  houses,  the  mail  is  sorted  according  to  the  persons 
or  departments  responsible  for  the  different  branches  of  the 
business,  and  the  mail  clerk  places  all  letters  belonging  to  each 
department  in  a  separate  pile  or  basket. 

As  an  illustration,  let  us  consider  the  incoming  mail  problem 
of  a  large  manufacturing  house  engaged  in  the  making  of  hard 
rubber  goods.  The  problem  is  typical  of  other  business  activities 
in  which  the  mail  is  equally  large. 

It  is  the  duty  of  the  sales  department,  consisting  of  a  head  sales- 
man, several  city  salesmen,  and  a  force  of  traveling  salesmen,  to 
order  the  necessary  stock  from  the  factory  for  the  home  office, 
to  attend  to  all  orders  for  catalogued  goods,  to  settle  questions  of 
delay  in  shipment ;  in  other  words,  to  furnish  the  personal  contact 
between  the  house  and  its  customers. 

To  do  this,  the  sales  department  must  work  with  the  shipping 
department,  which  actually  handles  and  ships  the  goods  sold  by 
the  sales  department. 

In  addition  to  catalogued  goods,  a  large  part  of  the  business  of 
this  house  is  the  manufacture  of  special  articles  to  order.  The 
correspondence  and  estimates  occasioned  by  this  branch  of  the 
work  are  in  the  hands  of  a  sundries  manufacturing  department, 
although  the  actual  manufacturing  is  done  at  the  factories.  In 
some  houses,  this  department  would  be  considered  a  part  of  the 
sales  department. 

Before  the  sales  department  or  the  sundries  manufacturing 
department  can  ship  goods  to  a  customer  on  account,  it  is  necessary 
to  know  whether  his  credit  is  good,  for  all  orders  shipped  on 
account  must  be  authorized  by  the  credit  department. 

In  order  to  manufacture  goods,  factories  must  have  materials  of 
all  kinds,  and  there  is  a  purchasing  agent  or  purchasing  department 
whose  duty  it  is  to  buy  to  the  best  advantage. 

Again,  so  much  buying  and  selling  presupposes  the  existence  of 
a  cashier  and  an  accounting  department. 


8  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

The  employment  of  so  many  clerks  presupposes  the  position  of 
ojfice  manager,  whose  duty  it  is  to  engage  and  discharge  em- 
ployees, supervise  the  office  force,  and  act  generally  as  the  execu- 
tive representative  of  the  house  itself. 

Over  all  these  departments  are  the  officers  and  directors  of  the 
company,  who  decide  upon  its  business  policy  and  its  invest- 
ments, and  who,  in  a  supervisory  capacity,  keep  in  touch  with  all 
the  departments. 

The  mail  clerk  in  such  a  house  must  know  that  orders  on 
account  go  to  the  credit  department ;  that  letters  from  firms 
desirous  of  selling  to  the  house  are  of  interest  to  the  purchasing 
agent ;  that  orders  for  catalogued  goods  go  first  to  the  credit 
department  and  then  to  the  sales  department ;  that  an  appli- 
cation for  a  position  goes  to  the  office  manager.  He  will  have 
at  hand  baskets  or  wire  trays  labeled  with  the  title  of  each 
department,  in  which  he  will  place  the  letters  as  he  reads  them. 

Where  the  Volume  of  Mail  is  Enormous 

The  business  activities  of  some  insurance  and  mail  order 
houses  are  so  enormous  that  they  not  only  employ  hundreds 
of  clerks,  but  they  require  entire  buildings  for  the  transaction  of 
their  business.  In  such  cases,  tons  of  mail  may  be  handled  daily. 
Mailing  departments  of  this  type  are  sometimes  as  large  as  the 
entire  office  force  of  a  manufacturing  house.  While  most  of  the 
mail  received  is  addressed  to  the  company,  it  is  always  in 
turn  automatically  distributed  to  the  departments  interested. 
Each  department  may  again  re-sort  the  mail  received,  but  the 
general  principles  outlined  above  hold  good  in  any  case. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

You  are  mail  clerk  in  a  manufacturing  house  that  has  the  following 
departments :  sales,  shipping,  sundries  manufacturing,  credit,  purchas- 
ing, accounting,  cashier,  manager,  officers.  The  morning's  mail  contains 
one  hundred  letters  as  given  below.  State  for  which  departments  these 
are  intended : 


OFFICE  MAIL— INCOMING  9 

15  ordering  catalogued  goods 

10  giving  quotations  on  coal  and  lumber 

7  circulars  advertising  different  materials 
12  applying  for  positions  with  the  company 
3  giving  credit  references 

11  ordering  a  specially  designed  article  already  quoted  on 
1  complaining  of  non-receipt  of  goods 

1  asking  the  company  to  become  a  member  of  a  manufacturers'  asso- 

ciation 
25  giving  instructions  for  future  shipments  of  freight 
11  asking  for  quotations  on  articles  made  Uke  samples  said  to  be  sent 

under  separate  cover 

2  asking  for  particulars  regarding  a  man  formerly  in  the  employ  of 

the  company 
2  asking  for  financial  standing  of  Jones  &  Brown 

Mention  some  departments  for  which  you  would  probably  have  to 
sort  out  mail,  if  you  were  incoming  mail  clerk  in  the  office  of  a  pubUca- 
tion  like  the  Ladies'  Home  Journal. 

SECTION  4 

DATING   THE    MAIL 

A  custom  that  prevails  in  most  offices  is  that  of  stamping  on 
the  face  of  each  letter  the  date  and  sometimes  the  hour  of  its 
receipt.  This  information  is  often  useful  in  settling  disputes  or 
fixing  the  responsibility  for  delays. 

For  example,  on  June  2d  the  Western  Electric  Company  of 
Chicago  sends  an  order  to  the  Sprague  Electric  Company  of  New 
York  City,  calling  for  the  immediate  shipment  of  a  motor.  In  the 
ordinary  course  of  events,  this  order  would  reach  the  New  York 
firm  on  June  3d  or  4th  and  the  motor  could  be  shipped  so  as  to 
arrive  in  Chicago  within  a  comparatively  short  time.  Through 
the  oversight  of  an  office  boy  in  the  Chicago  office,  we  will  suppose 
that  the  order  was  mislaid,  was  not  mailed  until  June  4th,  and  that  it 
did  not  reach  New  York  until  the  6th.  The  shipment  of  the  motor 
by  the  New  York  firm  was  necessarily  delayed,  and  this  delay 
made  it  impossible  for  the  Chicago  firm  to  complete  within  a 
specified  time  work   it  had   contracted   to   do.     It   might   hold 


10 


OFFICE  PRACTICE 


the  New  York  firm  partly  responsible  for  any  money  loss  resulting. 
As  the  post-office  of  the  receiver  of  a  letter  is  no  longer  required 
to  stamp  the  date  of  receipt  on  envelopes,  the  Sprague  Electric 
Company's  date  stamp  may  be  its  only  proof  that  it  is  not  re- 
sponsible. 

Where  great  disparity  exists  between  the  date  on  which  a  letter 
is  written  and  the  date  on  which  it  is  received,  it  is  customary 
for  mail  clerks  to  attach  the  envelope  to  the  letter  before  sending 
it  to  the  proper  department  for  answer.  The  envelope  will 
always  show  the  date  on  which  it  was  received  at  the  post-office  of 
the  sender. 

Mechanical  Devices 

Rubber  Stamps.  —  The  date  when  the  incoming  mail  is  received 
is  usually  indicated  by  means  of  a  rubber  stamp.     The  months, 


Courtesy  of  Gaylord  Bros. 
Rubber  Dating  Stamp 


Courtesy  of  Cushman  &  Dennlson 
Clock  Dating  Machine 


days,  and  years  are  arranged  on  three  rubber  bands,  which  may  be 
moved  freely,  so  as  to  bring  the  date  wanted  into  stamping  posi- 


OFFICE  MAIL— INCOMING  11 

tion.     The  dating  of  the  letter  may  be  attended  to  either  before  or 
after  the  mail  has  been  sorted  into  its  proper  groups. 

Clock  Dating  Machines.  —  For  recording  the  hour  as  well  as 
the  date  of  receipt,  there  are  more  elaborate  devices.  These 
include  a  clock  in  the  mechanism. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Describe  some  of  the  mechanical  devices  used  for  dating  mail. 
Give  a  possible  instance  in  which  the  date  stamp  on  a  letter  might  have 
a  legal  value. 

SECTION   5 
SYSTEMATIZING 

The  story  is  told  of  a  boy  who  went  to  work  in  a  factory 
and  was  set  at  the  job  of  putting  disks  into  a  machine  to  be 
stamped,  and  of  stacking  and  counting  them  after  the  operation. 
He  noticed  the  work  of  the  boy  next  to  him  and  observed  that  his 
disks  were  piled  in  a  heap  at  the  left  of  the  machine,  that  he 
picked  up  each  disk  with  his  right  hand,  put  it  into  the  machine, 
and  then  threw  it  into  a  heap  at  the  right.  When  this  heap  was 
large  enough,  the  boy  stopped  stamping  and  counted  the  disks. 

Our  boy  reflected  that  by  inserting  the  disks  with  his  left  hand, 
he  could  save  the  croSs  motion  on  each  disk ;  that  after  stamping, 
it  was  just  as  easy  to  pile  the  disks  on  top  of  each  other  as  to 
throw  them  into  a  heap  ;  that  as  the  disks  were  of  even  thickness, 
if  he  put  ten  in  a  pile  and  kept  all  the  piles  of  even  height,  his  disks 
would  be  counted  automatically  without  the  necessity  of  pausing 
in  his  work.  In  a  given  time  he  turned  out  double  the  number 
of  disks  that  the  first  boy  stamped.  What  had  he  done?  He 
had  simply  systematized  his  work. 

It  is  this  ability  to  systematize  that  results  in  a  maximum 
of  work  with  a  minimum  of  effort  and  of  time,  and  that  distin- 
guishes the  efficient  from  the  inefficient  worker,  as  far  as  routine 
matters   are   concerned.     It   is   often   the  important  factor  m 


12  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

deciding  to  which  of  several  clerks  shall  come  the  coveted  ad- 
vancement, and  it  is  almost  invariably  a  marked  characteristic  of 
successful  executives.  This,  then,  is  the  first  habit  the  young 
clerk  is  to  form,  even  though  it  may  mean  spending  much  time 
beforehand  in  planning  his  work. 

In  planning  or  systematizing  work  of  any  kind,  the  follow- 
ing points  must  be  considered  : 

1.  What  is  the  result  to  be  attained  ? 

2.  What  operations  will  attain  this  result  ? 

3.  In  what  order  shaU  these  operations  be  performed  ? 

4.  What  tools  and  materials  are  needed? 

5.  How  can  these  tools  and  materials  be  arranged  so  as  to  do  their 
work  most  efficiently? 

Applied  to  Incoming  Mail 
Let  us  apply  these  principles  to  the  work  in  hand. 

1.  What  is  the  result  to  be  attained? 

The  collection  of  the  mail  into  receptacles  for  the  different  de- 
partments, each  letter  to  show  when  it  was  received,  and  to  give  fulJ 
information  regarding  enclosures. 

2.  What  operations  will  attain  this  result? 

Envelopes  cut  open 

Mail  extracted  and  read 

Enclosures  checked 

Envelopes  thrown  away,  except  where  letler  is  not  signed 

Mail  placed  in  trays  for  proper  departments 

Mail  stamped  with  date  of  receipt 

Mail  delivered  to  each  department 

3.  In  what  order  shall  these  operations  he  performed? 

Before  answering  this  question,  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that 
where  several  operations  are  to  be  performed  on  a  number  of  ob- 
jects, the  best  results  are  usually  obtained  by  performing  each  opera- 
tion on  the  entire  number  of  objects,  rather  than  by  performing  all 
the  operations  on  the  first  object,  then  on  the  second,  and  so  on. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  poor  policy  to  remove  the  contents 
of  all  the  envelopes  before   reading  any  of  them,  as  confusion 


OFFICE  MAIL  — INCOMING 


13 


would  result.     One  accepted  form  of  arranging  this  work  is  as 
follows : 

Slit  and  stack  envelopes 

Remove  contents  of  each  envelope 

Check  and  pin  enclosures  to  letter 

Make  necessary  notations  on  letter 

Place  letter  in  tray 

Discard  envelopes 

Date  each  pile  of  letters,  returning  pile  intact  to  its  proper  place 

Deliver  mail  to  proper  departments 


4. 


What  tools  and  materials  are  needed? 
Envelope  cutter  Pad  for  notes 


Pins  or  clips 
Pen  or  pencil 


Waste  paper  basket 
Trays  for  department  mail 


5.  How  can  these  tools  and  materials  he  arranged  so  as  to  do 
their  work  most  efficiently? 

The  answer  to  this  question  is  a  vital  one.  Notice  the  follow- 
ing diagram  of  a  desk  arranged  for  work  of  this  kind  : 


bo 

bo 

c 

t/3 

t« 

.s 

3 

<! 

xi 
o 

3 

-a 
c 

3 

m 

— 
W 

c 
a 
a 

1 

.2J 

'a 

1) 
o 

stacks  of 

Unopened 

Envelopes 


ating 
tarn 


Pins  or 
Clips 


Envelopes 
to  be 

Discarded 


Pad 


Chair 


Desk  Arranged  for  Opening  Mail 


14  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

As  the  first  step  is  to  slit  open  the  envelopes,  the  paper  cutter 
should  be  slightly  to  the  right  of  the  middle  of  the  desk  and  the 
mail  should  be  stacked  at  the  left-hand  side.  Each  envelope  can 
then  be  slit  and  placed  directly  in  front  of  the  mail  clerk.  The 
next  steps  are  the  consideration  of  each  letter  and  the  pinning 
together  of  the  contents.  A  box  of  pins  or  clips  should  be 
immediately  back  of  the  paper  cutter  on  the  right  side.  A  pad 
and  pencil  for  notes  should  be  to  the  right  of  the  paper  cutter.  As 
the  mail  is  removed  from  the  envelopes  with  the  right  hand,  the 
empty  envelopes  will  naturally  be  stacked  at  the  left.  Conse- 
quently, the  waste  basket  should  be  located  at  the  left  of  the 
clerk's  chair,  and  the  envelopes  thrown  into  it  when  the  work  is 
finished.  This  is  a  quicker  method  than  throwing  each  one  away 
separately.  In  a  row  at  the  back  of  the  desk  will  be  placed  the 
baskets  intended  to  receive  the  mail  for  the  different  departments. 
The  baskets  for  the  departments  whose  mail  is  heaviest  should  be 
nearest  the  center.  The  dating  stamp  may  be  placed  in  a  corner 
at  the  right  of  the  desk,  as  it  will  not  be  used  until  the  mail  is 
assorted. 

Where  envelopes  are  opened  by  mail  opening  machines,  the 
process  is  different,  but  the  underlying  principle  of  systematizing 
the  work  is  the  same. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  method  laid  out  in  this  book  is 
the  only  good  one.  It  is  typical,  though,  and  students  should  en- 
deavor to  apply  these  systematic  principles  to  any  work  they  may 
have  to  do  in  school,  at  home,  or  in  business.  Having  decided 
upon  a  plan  for  doing  the  work,  concentrate  on  its  performance 
for  a  few  days.     It  will  soon  become  automatic. 

When  the  routine  part  of  the  mail  clerk's  duties  has  become 
automatic,  he  can  devote  his  thought  to  the  careful  placing  of 
letters  in  their  proper  receptacles,  so  that  time  will  not  be  lost  by 
heads  of  departments  in  reading  mail  not  intended  for  them. 
Through  his  perusal  of  the  letters  he  can  familiarize  himself  with 
the  terms  used  in  the  business,  with  the  names  and  addresses  of 
customers,  with  styles  of  letter-heads  and  stationery  adopted  by 


OFFICE   MAIL— INCOMING  15 

different  houses,  with  forms  used  for  orders,  and  with  many  other 
details  that  may  prove  valuable  to  him  in  his  business  career. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Why  should  routine  work  be  made  automatic? 

The  mail  contains  ninety  letters,  some  addressed  to  the  company, 
some  to  individuals,  and  some  to  departments.  Enumerate  the  steps 
to  be  followed  from  the  time  the  sealed  envelopes  are  placed  in  your 
hands  until  the  letters  are  delivered  to  the  persons  for  whom  they  are 
intended. 

Devise  a  plan  for  systematizing  the  preparation  of  your  class  assign- 
ment in  all  subjects  for  to-morrow. 


PART   II 
OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING 


Section  1 


Section  2 


Section  3 


Section  4 


Section  5 


Dictating  the  Correspondence 

The  Dictator's  Problem 

The  Stenographer's  Problem 
Typewriting  the  Correspondence 

Placing  the  Letter 

Mechanics  of  the  Typewriter 

Mechanics  of  the  Language 

Systematizing  the  Work 
Mailing  the  Correspondence 

Enclosures 

Printed  Matter  under  Separate  Cover 

Signing  the  Mail 

Preparing  Mail  for  the  Post-Office 

Postal  Regulations 
Expediting  the  Correspondence 

Fast  Mail  Trains 

Foreign  Mail 

Special  Delivery 
Copying  the  Correspondence 

The  Carbon  Copy 

The  Letter-Press  Copy 

The  Roller-Press  Copier 

Helpful  Suggestions 


SECTION    1 
DICTATING   THE    CORRESPONDENCE 


A  man  comes  into  your  office.  He  is  a  stranger.  You  do 
not  know  where  he  comes  from  or  what  he  wants.  You  are  a 
business  man   and   accustomed   to   making  estimates  of  your 

16 


f'^-^^^.^t 


Letter-Heads 
17 


18  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

visitors  quickly.  And  his  dress  —  which  is  not  the  man,  to 
be  sure,  but  which  covers  the  greater  part  of  him  and  which 
may  be  presumed  to  reflect  his  tastes  and  to  this  extent  his 
social  position  —  offers  one  of  the  easiest  and  in  some  cases  the 
determining  basis  of  your  estimate. 

A  letter  comes  to  your  desk.  That  letter  bears  an  unknown 
inscription  or  is  addressed  in  an  unknown  hand.  That  letter 
comes  to  your  office  as  a  stranger ;  and  before  you  read  its 
message  —  before  the  stranger  speaks  to  state  his  purpose  — 
your  estimate  of  your  correspondent  is  to  some  extent  biased 
by  the  form  in  which  his  representative  appears. 

Kendall  Banning,  Busiriess  Man's  Library. 

In  the  days  of  long  ago  letters  were  deemed  of  sufficient  impor- 
tance to  call  for  the  expenditure  of  a  great  deal  of  time,  and  the 
old-fashioned  type  of  clerk,  with  his  quill  behind  his  ear,  took  pride 
in  his  scholarly  compositions  and  his  copper-plate  handv/riting. 

The  advent  of  the  telephone,  the  telegraph,  the  typewriter,  and 
other  inventions  too  numerous  to  mention,  changed  all  this. 
Business  increased  to  such  an  extraordinary  degree  that  men 
almost  worshiped  brevity  and  speed  —  at  times,  indeed,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  courtesy.  Letter  writing  was  said  to  have  become 
a  lost  art. 

Now  the  pendulum  is  swinging  back  to  normal.  Men  are 
realizing  more  and  more  that  a  letter  gives  the  recipient,  who  may 
be  thousands  of  miles  away,  an  impression  of  the  writer's  per- 
sonality and  the  tone  of  his  business,  that,  whether  just  or  un- 
just, will  influence  his  dealings. 

How,  then,  to  make  a  good  impression  by  means  of  a  letter, 
opens  up  a  wide  field  for  study  before  both  dictator  and  ste- 
nographer, for  the  problems  that  will  arise  are  to  be  solved  now 
by  one  and  now  by  the  other. 

The  Dictator's  Problem 

The  dictator  may  be  the  employer,  a  senior  clerk,  or  a  corre- 
spondent in  a  business  house  ;  but  as  the  position  of  correspondent 
is  one  of  the  logical  avenues  of  advancement  open  to  the  capable 


^.S^^t^na^ty^^iSc- 

^^^^ 

Ur. 

William  Scherer, 

c/o 

Messrs.  B. 

Altman  &  Co.  , 

Pari 

St 

Trance. 

PotSIDE 

Georgetov 
Wasmi 

NTS     0 
VN      UN 
MGTON 

VCRSITY 

D.C. 

Ulss 

Mary 

F. 

Cahlll, 

Julia  Richraan  High 

School, 

60 

West  13th 
New  York 

Street, 
City. 

UNIVERSITY    OF  CALIFORNIA 

BEHKEi.EV 

Dr.  A.  G.  Brodeur, 

2617  Virginia  Street, 

Berkeley 

19 


20  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

stenographer,  the  art  of  letter  writing  ought  to  be  studied  care- 
fully by  the  ambitious  clerk. 

The  dictator  is  responsible  for  the  style  of  the  letter  and  the 
stationery. 

Style.  —  Someone  has  said  that  the  styhst  is  born,  not  made  ; 
that  is  to  say,  style  is  a  gift  rather  than  an  acquisition.  However, 
much  may  be  done  to  make  one's  style  smooth  and  pleasing  ;  and 
while  the  problem  is  largely  the  dictator's,  some  points  for  the 
stenographer  to  bear  in  mind  will  be  considered  later. 

Stationery.  —  A  business  letter-head  is  a  sheet  of  paper,  at  the 
top  of  which  is  printed  or  engraved  the  name  of  the  house,  the 
address,  the  cable  address,  the  telephone  number,  and  often  some 
matter  describing  the  nature  of  the  business.  The  business 
envelope  bears  in  its  upper  left-hand  corner,  or  on  the  flap,  the 
name  and  address  of  the  house.  The  selection  of  the  kinds  of 
paper  used  and  the  styles  of  letter-heads  adopted  rarely  falls  to 
the  stenographer,  but  he  can  and  should  develop  an  interest  in 
the  study  of  good  stationery  and  effective  letter-heads.  They 
represent  some  of  the  tools  with  which  he  must  work.  The  car- 
penter, the  housekeeper,  the  business  man,  all  read  books  and 
articles  pertaining  to  their  work.  The  stenographer,  too,  must 
make  a  study  of  the  things  which  pertain  to  his  business.  Some 
business  men  do  not  realize  the  importance  of  appropriate  and 
well-designed  stationery.  The  stenographer  may  some  day  find 
himself  in  position  to  suggest  the  advisability  of  adopting 
better  models.  Good  suggestions  are  usually  well  received,  but 
before  making  them,  one  must  know  what  a  good  letter-head  is 
and  whether  it  is  appropriate  for  a  particular  business. 

Letter-heads  are  usually  referred  to  as  regular  letter  size  (about 
8|-  X  10  inches)  and  note  heads  (about  8^  x  5  or  6  inches)  or 
smaller.  The  former  are  used  for  the  average  business  letter  ;  the 
latter  for  private  correspondence  or  for  veiy  short  business  letters. 

Envelopes  should  match  the  paper  and  should  suit  the  business. 
Conservative  houses  may  choose  rather  heavy  grades  of  paper 
and  very  frequently  have  both  letter-heads  and  envelopes  engraved. 


OFFICE   MAIL  — OUTGOING 


21 


On  pages  17,  19,  and  21  will  be  found  examples  of  letter-heads 
and  envelopes  used  by  some  prominent  firms  and  institutions  in 
different  parts  of  the  United  States. 


55     WALL     STREET 
NEW   YORK 


Miss  Mary  F.  Cahill, 
Julia  Richman  High  School, 
60  West  13th  Street, 
New  York  City. 


IVEWS 

TY    OF  C 

1ICAGO 

FOUND 

D  BV  jOm 

N   D   BOCK tr 

ELLER 

Mr. 

James  A. 

White 

6901 

Cottage 

Grove 

Avenue, 

Chic 

ago,   Illinois. 

22  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

The  Stenographer's  Problem 

There  seemed  for  a  time  to  develop  in  certain  business  circles 
a  tendency  to  overemphasize  the  mechanical  side  of  the  stenog- 
rapher's work,  on  the  ground  that  this  constituted  the  sum  total 
of  his  value  as  a  business  asset.  His  personality,  his  education,  and 
his  ideas  were  overlooked.  But  to-day,  fortunately,  the  educated 
stenographer  possessing  personality  and  ideas  is  in  great  demand. 

Frank  A.  Vanderlip,  now  the  president  of  the  National  City  Bank 
of  New  York,  was  once  a  stenographer  and  later  private  secretary 
to  Lyman  J.  Gage,  when  the  latter  was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 
William  Loeb,  Jr.,  who  once  carried  messages  for  the  Western 
Union,  became  a  stenographer,  acted  as  secretary  to  Theodore 
Roosevelt  when  the  latter  was  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
later  became  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York.  George  B. 
Cortelyou  began  life  as  a  civil  service  stenographer,  later  rising 
to  the  cabinet  portfolios  of  Secretary  of  the  Department  of  Com- 
merce and  Labor,  Postmaster  General,  and  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury.  George  W.  Perkins,  one  of  the  partners  of  the  late 
J.  P.  Morgan,  was  a  stenographer  in  his  younger  days.  Zelda 
Sears,  a  well-known  actress,  was  private  secretary  to  Clyde  Fitch 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  this  work  proved  to  be  the  ladder  by 
which  she  climbed  to  the  positions  of  actress  and  playwright. 
Edward  Bok,  the  editor  of  the  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  was  once 
a  stenographer. 

In  regarding  the  stenographer  as  an  important  factor  in  the 
matter  of  the  correspondence,  some  points  must  be  considered : 

Preparedness.  —  The  stenographer  must  be  ready  at  a  moment's 
notice  to  take  down  the  dictation  of  the  correspondent.  What 
does  this  mean?  It  means  that  the  stenographer  will  apply  the 
same  plan  of  systematizing  to  his  work  that  the  mail  clerk  does. 
He  will  find  that  a  notebook,  several  sharpened  pencils,  and  a 
knife  are  his  dictation  tools,  and  that  the  convenient  and  proper 
place  for  these  tools  is  on  the  right-hand  side  of  the  desk  at  which 
he  is  sitting. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  23 

Mannerisms.  —  The  stenographer  will  maintain  a  quiet,  un- 
obtrusive manner  during  the  dictation ,  and  will  refrain  from  such 
annoying  habits  as  tapping  the  desk  with  the  pencil,  sighing,  or 
humming.  This  is  not  always  so  easy  as  it  seems.  Certain 
types  of  dictators  react  on  stenographers.  The  dictator  may  be 
a  quiet,  patient  type  of  man,  willing  to  help  the  new  stenographer. 
He  may  be  an  extremely  businesslike  type  of  man,  who  expects 
to  have  his  notes  taken  down  without  interruption,  and  who  is 
scarcely  aware  of  the  stenographer's  presence.  He  may  be  a 
man  who  thinks  rather  slowly,  and  who  is  perhaps  of  a  nervous 
temperament.  Indeed,  he  may  be  one  of  a  dozen  or  more  dif- 
ferent types. 

The  stenographer  must  remember,  however,  that  the  mind  of 
the  dictator  is  usually  focused  on  the  subject  matter  of  the  letter 
and  that  nothing  should  be  done  that  will  disturb  his  train  of 
thought.  He  must  learn  to  sit  so  quietly  through  even  long 
pauses  in  the  dictation  that  the  man  beside  him  will  forget  his 
presence.  This  time  may  be  utilized,  however,  in  reading  over 
notes,  strengthening  weak  stenographic  outlines,  or  indicating 
punctuation  marks  where  necessary. 

Do  not  be  content  merely  to  take  notes  mechanically,  but 
rather  take  an  intelhgent  interest  in  the  subject  matter  and 
cultivate  tact  in  choosing  the  proper  moment  to  bring  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  dictator  sentences  whose  meaning  is  obscure  or  which 
have  not  been  heard  distinctl3^  "  Did  I  understand  you  to  say  so 
and  so?  "  will  never  give  offense.  However,  it  is  rarely  wise  to 
stop  a  dictator  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence,  —  his  train  of  thought 
may  be  disturbed  ;  or  to  wait  too  long,  —  he  may  have  forgotten 
what  he  said.  Usually  the  best  time  to  mention  such  a  point  is 
when  the  dictation  of  the  letter  in  which  it  occurred  has  ended. 
But  in  matters  of  this  kind  every  dictator  is  a  law  unto  himself. 

Intelligence  and  Initiative.  ■ —  What  can  be  done  to  make  one's 
self  eligible  for  advancement?  No  hard  and  fast  rules  can  deter- 
mine this.  But  if  the  stenographer  is  always  alert  to  discover 
and  adopt  whatever  will   serve    to    improve    his   work;    if  his 


24 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


suggestions  result  in  better  looking  correspondence,  or  save  time 
in  handling  it,  or  promote  accuracy  in  filing  it ;  if,  in  his  spare 
moments,  he  tries  to  find  opportunities  for  relieving  the  man 
higher  up  of  detail ;  if  he  endeavors  to  learn  the  business  so 
thoroughly  that  letters  can  be  turned  over  to  him  to  be  answered 
directly,  —  he  is  building  advancement  for  himself. 

Mechanics  of  the  Notebook.  —  A  man  may  dictate  fifty  letters 
at  one  sitting.     In  the  midst  of  the  dictation,  he  may  say : 

Send  Pendleton's  letter  off  the  first  thing. 

Make  two  carbons  of  Smith's  letter  instead  of  one. 

Send  a  telegram  to  Brown,  advising  him,  — 

Let  me  have  the  letter  you  wrote  to  Brown  last  week. 

Unless  provided  with  some  mechanical  method  of  keeping  track 
of  such  instructions  as  these,  the  stenographer  may  find,  after 
taking  fifty  letters,  that  he  has  forgotten  that  Pendleton's  letter 
is  to  go  ofiF  first,  that  two  carbons  are  wanted  of  Smith's  letter, 
or  that  a  telegram  is  to  be  sent  to  Brown  at  once. 

To  meet  such  contingencies,  experienced  stenographers  devise 
methods  for  calling  important  letters  to  attention  and  for  locat- 
ing quickly  in  a  mass  of  shorthand  notes  the  special  material 
wanted. 

The  following  suggestions  may  prove  helpful: 

Numbering  and  Dating  Covers  of  Stenographic  Notebooks.  .Un- 
less instructed  to  do  so,  never  destroy  old  notebooks.  It  may 
sometime  be  necessary  to  refer  to  old  stenographic  notes.  To 
facilitate  the  finding  of  old  notes,  number  and  date  books  as 
illustrated : 


Jan.  7,  1917 

to 
Feb.  1.  1917 

inc. 
Mary  Howard, 
Stenographer 


#2 
Feb.  2,  1917 

to 
^larch  6,  1917 

inc. 
Mary  Howard, 
Stenographer 


#3 

March  6,  1917 

to 


Mary  Howard, 
Stenographer 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  25 

Daifs  Dale.  At  the  beginning  of  each  daj',  indicate  in  long- 
hand and  underscore  heavil^^  in  ink  or  in  pencil  the  day's  date. 

Jan.  7,  1917 
Letters  will  be  more  readily  located   according  to  the  date  on 
which  written. 

First  Blank  Page  in  Notebook.  With  a  rubber  band,  pencil, 
or  sHp  of  paper,  mark  the  first  blank  page  in  the  notebook. 
When  called  for  dictation,  there  wiU  be  no  delay  in  turning 
directly  to  the  page  on  which  the  notes  are  to  be  taken. 

Addressees.  Note  the  name  of  the  addressee  in  longhand 
and  ascertain  the  correct  spelling,  if  in  doubt.  If  it  becomes 
necessary  to  refer  to  the  letter,  the  longhand  name  will  locate  it 
instantly  in  a  mass  of  shorthand  notes. 

Canceling  Transcribed  Notes.  As  soon  as  notes  have  been 
transcribed,  run  a  pencil  mark  through  the  page.  This  wiU 
prevent  repetition  of  work. 

Indicating  Special  Pages.  Turn  over  the  pages  of  the  note- 
book containing  the  notes  in  regard  to  telegrains  or  letters  to  be 
written  first.  This  may  be  done  in  such  a  way  that  the  page 
projects  from  the  edge  of  the  book. 

Special  Instructions.  Where  special  instructions  are  to  be  fol- 
lowed in  typewTiting  certain  letters,  as  in  the  case  of  Smith's  extra 
carbon,  note  this  fact  in  longhand  at  the  beginning  of  the  letter. 

Numbering  Dictated  Letters.  Numbers  are  sometimes  placed 
on  letters  to  be  answered,  and  answers  are  dictated  to  Numbers 
1,  2,  3,  instead  of  by  name.  The  original  letters  are  then  given 
to  the  stenographer,  who  is  expected  to  obtain  the  names  and  ad- 
dresses from  the  letters.  This  method  has  certain  advantages. 
Names  are  spelled  correctly,  the  number  of  incorrect  addresses 
is  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  some  time  is  saved.  Most  houses, 
however,  prefer  to  dictate  the  name  and  address,  and  then  turn 
over  the  original  letter  to  the  stenographer  for  verification  as  to 
speUing,  etc. 

The  Form  Letter  or  Paragraph.  Some  houses  receive  inquiries 
so  similar  in  character  that  the  same  answer  will  serve  for  many 
letters.  Form  letters  or  form  paragraphs  are  composed  care- 
fully to  meet  this  type  of  inquiry.  In  answering  such  letters,  the 
dictator  may  sa.y  :  "Form  paragraph  1,  follow  with  form  para- 
graph 16,  and  close  with  the  following,"  which  he  will  then  dictate'. 
If  one  is  employed  in  a  house  using  this  system,  it  is  well  to 
have  a  book  of  form  letters  or  paragraphs  so  arranged  that  one 
can  refer  to  the  form  in  question  with  the  least  possible  delay. 


26  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

In  what  way  may  tact  be  an  advantage  to  the  stenographer  in  his 
work? 

What  would  you  do  if  your  employer  dictated  letters  that  contained 
grammatical  errors? 

Why  is  it  important  to  speU  correctly  the  names  of  correspondents? 

Is  there  any  weakness  in  your  own  personality  that  you  have  detected 
through  studying  the  foregoing  chapter?  If  so,  what  means  will  you 
take  to  remedy  this  defect? 

Aside  from  a  technical  knowledge  of  the  subject,  what  personal  qualities 
do  you  think  a  stenographer  should  cultivate?  Give  your  reasons  for 
thinking  them  important. 

What  do  you  understand  by  "initiative"? 

SECTION  2 

TYPEWRITING   THE    CORRESPONDENCE 

We  have  been  considering  the  points  in  a  letter  for  which  the 
dictator  is  responsible,  —  ideas,  expression,  and  stationery  ;  but 
before  the  reader  has  had  an  opportunity  to  appreciate  the  ideas  ex- 
pressed or  the  language  in  which  they  are  clothed,  he  has  been  un- 
consciously impressed  by  the  manner  in  which  the  letter  has  been 
placed  upon  the  paper  and  the  appearance  of  the  typewriting. 
These  matters  are  almost  entirely  within  the  control  of  the 
stenographer. 

Placing  the  Letter 

You  have  an  etching  to  frame.  Its  effectiveness  will  be  lost 
if  the  mat  upon  which  it  is  placed  is  out  of  proportion.  Your  letter 
is  your  etching.  Your  mat  is  the  letter- head  you  have  in  your 
hand.  You  cannot  alter  the  size  of  your  etching,  but  the  finished 
proportions  of  your  letter  you  can  determine.  The  finished  letter 
should  produce  the  effect  of  a  well-framed  picture. 

How  can  you  obtain  this  effect?  No  set  rule  can  be  given. 
Each  type  of  letter-head  must  be  studied  and  the  placing  of  the 
letter  determined  by  the  space  it  is  to  fill. 


OFFICE    MAIL  — OUTGOING  27 


K.c. •"o°°o°o  yiearJfc^/>  oot.  ?6,  1916. 


Mi33  Kary  F.   Cahlll,  Ci^irnan, 

Stenography  4  Tj-peviTiting  Dept., 
Julia  Hichman  High  School, 
,         llo.   60  West  13th  Street, 
i;ew  York  City. 

Dear  liadara; 

I  beg  leave  to^oknowledye  receipt  of  yonr  letter  ot  October  25th, 
and  I  ha7e  pleasure  In  sending  you  herewith  enclosed,  sanplee  of  stationery 
used  here  in  The  National  City  Bank  of  New  York,  for  both  official  and  per- 
sonal oorrespondenoo,  which  I  trust  may  bo  of, service  to  you. 

For  your  information,   I  will  say  that  recently  we  adopted  certain 
forms  for  the   standardization  of  letters  written  in  the  Banl<,  which  forma  all 
of  our  stenographers  and  t^Tpists  have  been  instructed  to  follow, 

/jrong  other  points  which  we  emphasize  for  the  guidance  of  our  aten- 
oGTaphers  and  tj-pists  in  the  preparation  of  letters  is  the  securing  of  as  ar- 
tistic an  arrangement  as  possible.         In  this  connection,  we  require  the  right 
ajid  left-hand  margins  to  be  of  as  uniform  width  as  can  be  secured,  and  the 
lines  to  be  of  as  uniform  length  as  possible. 

V.'e  prefer  the  use  of  the  single  space  to  that  of  the  double,  but  the 
latter  form  should  bo  employed  if  the  letter  can  be  double-spaced  and  still  be 
placed  on  one  i^age  without  crowding. 

All  paragraphs  are  Indented  ten  spaces,  irrespective  of  the  length 
of  the  salutation. 

If  the  address  consist  of  iriore  than  two  lines,  it  should  be  Slngle- 
spaood,  with  an  indenture  of  five  points  for  each  line  with  reference  to  the 
preceding  one. 

This  letter  is  itself  an  illustration  of  the  stylo  which  we  prefer 
for  our  letters. 

Very  truly  yours. 


C/H 
Enclosures. 


28  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

Many  business  houses  adopt  certain  forms  for  their  letter-heads. 
The  same  paragraphing,  margins,  spacings,  and  indentations  are 
used  in  all  their  letters.  Here  the  stenographer  has  no  choice. 
But  when  a  firm  is  sufficiently  interested  to  study  its  letter-heads 
and  letters,  the  forms  finally  decided  upon  are  usually  good. 
Where  no  set  forms  are  insisted  upon,  the  experienced  stenographer 
will  not  only  study  the  letter-heads  used  in  the  office,  experiment 
with  letters  of  varying  lengths,  and  adopt  some  good  forms  ;  but  he 
will  read  most  carefully  some  of  the  very  good  books  now  on  the 
market  dealing  with  the  composition  and  display  of  the  business 
and  advertising  letter. 

Margins.  —  Look  at  some  framed  pictures  in  which  mats  are 
used.  The  right-  and  left-hsind  margins  are  usually  alike.  Follow 
this  fundamental  rule  in  placing  letters  on  paper. 

Look  again  at  your  framed  pictures.  In  one,  the  top  and  bottom 
margins  may  be  alike.  In  another,  the  drop  may  be  greater  at  the 
top.  There  are  reasons  for  these  variations.  A  certain  artistic 
effect  is  to  be  obtained.  Your  problem  is  how  best  to  secure  this 
artistic  effect  on  your  particular  letter-head. 

We  must  begin  by  deciding  upon  our  upper  and  lower,  right- 
and  left-hand  margins.  This  will  give  us  our  mat.  The  next 
problem  is  so  to  place  your  letter  upon  the  mat  that  the  dis- 
criminating eye  will  be  satisfied  when  it  rests  upon  it.  The  letters 
illustrated  in  this  section  on  pages  27,  37,  40,  43,  and  45  show 
the  forms  adopted  by  some  well-known  business  houses  and 
colleges. 

Spacing.  —  The  adoption  of  single  or  double  spacing  will  usually 
be  determined  by  the  length  of  the  letter.  Some  business  houses 
prefer  to  have  all  letters  single  spaced,  while  others  prefer  the 
double  spacing. 

If  single  spacing  is  preferred,  see  that  all  paragraphs  are 
separated  by  double  spacing,  otherwise  the  letter  will  prove  most 
tiring  to  the  eye,  for  no  rest  is  provided.  The  following  letter 
will  illustrate  what  is  meant  by  providing  breaks  at  proper 
intervals : 


OFFICE   MAIL  — OUTGOING  29 

New  York,  January  3,  1917. 
Messrs.  Stone  &  Dunbar, 
85  Summer  Street, 
Boston,  Mass. 

Gentlemen : 

The  enclosed  bill  is  a  duplicate  of  the  one  sent  you  two 
weeks  ago.  The  matter  of  payment  was  probably  overlooked  by 
you  at  that  time. 

Our  salesman  will  call  upon  you  some  daj^  next  week 
with  an  unusually  attractive  line  of  men's  nectft'ear.  We  are 
confident  that  you  will  place  a  large  order  for  these  goods. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Charles  Pelton  &  Sons. 

If  double  spacing  is  preferred  (and  it  is  in  many  houses  where 
a  short  letter  hke  the  one  illustrated  above  is  the  kind  usually 
written) ,  the  problem  is  usually  a  matter  of  margins  and  a  method 
of  indicating  the  address.  Using  the  above  letter  as  an  example, 
notice  these  two  methods  of  indicating  the  address :   ^ 

New  York,  January  3,  1917. 
Messrs.  Stone  &  Dunbar, 
85  Summer  Street, 

Boston,  Massachusetts. 
Gentlemen : 

The  enclosed  bill  is  a  duplicate  of  the  one  sent  you 
two  weeks  ago.  The  matter  of  payment  was  probablj'  overlooked 
by  you  at  that  time. 

Our  salesman  will  call  upon  you  some  day  next  week 
with  an  unusually  attractive  line  of  men's  neckwear.  We  are 
confident  that  you  will  desire  to  place  a  large  order  for  these 
goods. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Charles  Pelton  &  Sons. 


30  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

New  York,  January  3,  1917. 
Messrs.  Stone  &  Dunbar, 
85  Summer  Street, 
Boston,  Mass. 

Gentlemen : 

The  enclosed  bill  is  a  duplicate  of  the  one  sent  you 
two  weeks  ago.  The  matter  of  payment  was  probably  over- 
looked by  you  at  that  time. 

Our  salesman  will  call  upon  you  some  day  next  week 
with  an  unusually  attractive  line  of  men's  neckwear.  We  are 
confident  that  you  will  desire  to  place  a  large  order  for  these 
goods. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Charles  Pelton  &  Sons. 

The  Mock  style  of  letter  has  become  deservedly  popular  because 
it  is  a  time  saver.  One  of  its  great  advantages  is  that  it  furnishes 
an  easy  and  quick  method  of  locating  paragraphs  that  call  for  re- 
reading or  consideration.     A  glance  at  the  illustration  on  page 

31  shows  a  readable  and  well-balanced  letter. 

Second  Page.  —  Where  the  letter  requires  more  than  one  sheet, 
it  is  wise  to  place  the  name  of  the  addressee,  the  number  of  the 
page,  and  the  date  at  the  top  of  the  second  and  all  succeeding 
sheets.  If  a  page  of  the  letter  is  misplaced  in  filing  or  separated 
in  handling,  it  can  be  easily  identified.  Many  houses  use  what 
are  known  as  second  sheet  letter-heads. 

Subheadings.  —  It  is  a  rigid  rule  in  some  houses,  and  one 
much  appreciated  by  a  recipient  who  has  a  subject  system  of 
filing,  that  a  letter  shall  discuss  one  topic  only.  If  two  entirely 
foreign  matters  are  discussed,  two  letters  are  written  and  sent  in 
the  same  envelope.  Where,  however,  varying  phases  of  a  business 
transaction  must  be  discussed,  subheadings  indicating  the  subject 
matter  of  the  paragraph  are  used.  For  example,  a  paragraph  may 
begin  with : 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  31 


The  Macmillan   Company 

SCHOOL  iND  COLLEGE  TEXTBOOKS 
SCHOOL   LIDBARIES 

64-G6  Fifth  Avenue 
New   Tobk 


December  I,  1916. 


nss  Uary  F.  Cahill, 

Julia  Klchinan  Elgji  School, 
Kew  York  City. 

Dear  Uadaa: 


We  ore  pleaded  to  inform  you  that  the 
following  MACMILL/LN  texts  will  appear  iqion  the 
new  Lists  for  1917-1919: 


New  List 

Contrast 

iMmbers 

J*iee:< 

9156 

Canby  &  Opdycke: 

FmraWS  OF  COMPOSITIOII, 
PART  III   (AIDS  TO  COU- 

POSITIOH) 

.36 

9070 

Opdycke: 

mis.  ADS  AIJD  SALES 

(Conjplete) 

.95 

8750 

Uster: 

MaSCULAB  UOVEltENT  WBITXNC, 

ADVAIICED  BOOK 

.15 

9864 

Uster: 

UMWAL  FOR  TEACHERS 

.30 

In  case  you  lack  sasples  of  any  of 
these  titles,  ne  shall  be  glad  to  send  them  to 
you. 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

TOE  MACinLLUI  COUPAUY, 

Educational  Departosnt. 


ATO/lUC 


32  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Order  No.  2750  :     We  regret  to  inform  you  that,  — 

Order  No.  2974  :  Our  shipping  department  has  been  instructed  to  send 
you  — 

Estimate  on  File  :  The  price  you  quote  us  on has  been  placed 

on  file  and  will  be  considered  when  the  other  esti- 
mates are  in. 

Pivoting.  —  Nothing  is  more  helpful  in  securing  an  artistic 
effect  than  an  understanding  of  what,  for  a  better  word,  may  be 
termed  "  pivoting." 

The  question  of  the  right-hand  margin  gives  much  trouble  to 
the  typist,  as  a  typewriter  is  not  a  printing  press  and  the  right- 
hand  margin  cannot  have  the  straightness  of  the  left.  But  the 
right-hand  margin  is  something  to  strive  for,  and  anything  that 
will  present  the  effect  of  straightness  to  the  eye  of  the  reader 
must  be  resorted  to. 

Look  at  the  date  lines  of  the  Stone  &  Dunbar  letters  above. 
The  right  and  left-hand  margins  of  these  letters  are  absolutely 
even  but,  of  course,  they  are  printed.  The  period  after  "  1917  " 
has  been  placed  at  the  right-hand  margin.  At  the  beginning  of 
each  month,  let  the  stenographer  space  backward  from  the  right- 
hand  margin  and  the  number  on  the  scale  at  which  the  date  is 
to  be  written  will  be  easily  determined. 

Glance  at  the  typewritten  firm  name.  This  form  of  signature 
is  used  by  many  houses.  Let  the  stenographer  space  backward 
from  the  right-hand  margin  for  the  signature  and  the  problem  of 
placing  it  correctly  is  solved.  Notice  the  "  Yours  very  truly." 
Its  place  on  the  scale  was  decided  by  the  signature.  Notice 
where  the  paragraphing  begins.  This  is  to  give  a  symmetrical 
effect.  No  law  determines  the  exact  placing  on  the  scale  of  the 
date,  the  paragraph,  the  complimentary  closing,  or  the  signature. 
The  Marshall  Field  &  Co.  letter  addressed  to  Small  &  Moore, 
of  Maysville,  Kentucky,  is  very  well  arranged.     (See  page  33.) 

Initialing.  —  It  is  the  custom  in  many  houses  to  note  in  the 
lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  letter  the  dictator's  initials,  followed 
by  those  of  the  stenographer. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  33 


Marshall  Field  <^  Company 

Ad.'vms.  Qui.N'O'.  Franklin  and  Fifth  A\'e. 

tS^j^^ssr'"  Chicago        October  28,  1916. 


Uessrs.   Small  &  Moore, 
Uaya'vllle,  Kentucky. 

Gentlemen: 

We  are  In  receipt  of  your  favor  of  recent 
date  for  a  Steel  Bed  and  wish  to  advise  that  we  have 
entered  order  with  the  manufacturers,  asking  them  to 
haaten  to  you.  We  trust  it  will  be  received  without 
delay. 

Awaiting  your  further  wishes,  we  are 

Yours  very  truly, 
MARSHALL  FIELD  &  COMPANY 
UL  By 


34  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Noting  Enclosures.  —  The  number  of  enclosures  in  the  letter 
is  usually  written  under  the  initials.     For  example  : 

JLD/MEB  JVB/LWN 

Enc.  2  Enclosure 

Keying.  —  Some  letters  bear  across  the  face  the  words :  "In 
reply,  refer  to  Dept.  K  "  or  "4-1671-13,"  or  some  such  notation. 
These  letters  or  figures  refer  to  a  special  department  or  to  a  file 
number.  In  advertising  letters,  this  sort  of  reference  may  be  a 
key,  that  is,  a  sign  that  will  enable  the  writer  of  the  letter  to  trace 
the  number  of  replies  received.  In  answering  letters  of  this  kind, 
therefore,  always  refer  to  the  key  letter  or  number  indicated. 

Addressing  Envelopes.  —  The  style  adopted  for  wTiting  the  ad- 
dress in  the  letter  should  determine  the  model  to  be  used  for  the 
envelope.     Whatever  style  is  used,  let  the  envelope  harmonize. 

The  "  Window  "  Envelope.  —  The  time  consumed  in  addressing 
envelopes  is  saved  in  many  houses  by  the  use  of  an  envelope 


After  5  days  return  to 

The  Macmillan  company 
pubushers 

64-56  FIFTH  AVENUE 
New  York,  N.  Y. 


David.  Jordan,  Eaq^, 
16  West    34tli  Street, 
Neff  York   CH;y. 


"  Window  "  Envelope 


which  has  the  center  portion  of  its  face  cut  away  and  a  sheet  of 
onion  skin  or  transparent  paper  inserted.     The  letter  is  so  folded 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  35 

that  the  name  and  address  show  through  the  transparent  section. 
This  style  of  envelope  is  used  a  great  deal  for  statements,  bills, 
and  papers  less  personal  in  their  nature  than  letters. 

Estimating  Stenographic  Notes.  —  An  inexperienced  stenog- 
rapher sometimes  has  difficulty  in  estimating  the  space  a  letter 
will  occupy.  Let  him  experiment  on  the  typewriter  with  a  page 
of  his  notes  in  single  and  in  double  spacing,  block  and  indented 
paragraphs.  He  will  then  have  a  basis  upon  which  to  estimate 
the  amount  of  space  required  for  any  letter.  Experience  is  the 
only  teacher  here. 

Mechanics  of  the  Typewriter 

It  is  assumed  that  the  student  who  is  studying  this  book  is 
already  impressed  with  the  importance  of  accuracy  in  his  type- 
writing. Speed  is  secondary  in  comparison.  The  best  typist, 
however,  will  strike  a  wrong  letter  occasionally.  There  is  noth- 
ing culpable  in  this,  but  there  is  no  excuse  for  the  typist  who 
presents  for  signature  letters  that  contain  mistakes.  Errors 
should  be  corrected  neatly. 

Erasures.  —  Smeared  erasures  are  worse  than  mistakes,  for 
they  are  evidence  that  the  typist  is  aware  of  the  one  and  unable 
to  handle  the  other.  Erasure  shields,  which  are  simply  celluloid 
cards  containing  holes  of  different  sizes,  are  sold  at  stationery 
stores.  The  finger  tips  should  never  be  placed  on  typewritten  ma- 
terial, as  the  warmth  will  leave  telltale  marks.  If  the  typewriter 
ribbon  is  new  and  a  word  must  be  erased,  use  a  pencil  eraser  first 
and  then  rub  gently  with  the  regular  typewriter  eraser  until  all 
sign  of  the  word  has  disappeared. 

If  the  carbon  copy  is  not  distinct,  it  is  useless  as  a  record. 
Carbon  erasures,  therefore,  require  still  more  careful  treatment. 
Let  us  suppose  that  an  original  and  two  carbons  are  to  be  cor- 
rected. The  mistake  on  carbon  sheet  number  2  is  erased,  and  a 
small  piece  of  paper  slipped  over  it ;  the  mistake  on  carbon  sheet 
number  1  is  erased,  and  another  piece  of  paper  slipped  over  it ; 
the  mistake  on  the  original  is  then  erased.    The  slips  of  paper, 


36  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

which  will  be  found  to  be  slightly  smeared  with  carbon,  are  then 
removed,  the  line  on  which  the  correction  is  to  be  made  is  rolled 
back  into  position,  and  the  correct  word  written.  Small  metal 
shields  which  j5t  the  typewriter  platen,  or  pieces  of  thin  cardboard, 
are  sometimes  used  instead  of  the  slips  of  paper.  Where  card- 
board is  used,  care  must  be  taken  not  to  crumple  the  paper. 

Uneven  Coloring.  —  This  gives  an  impression  of  carelessness, 
and  is  due  to  one  of  four  causes  —  irregular  stroke,  clogged  type, 
poor  ribbon,  or  worn-out  tj^pe  or  platen. 

If  the  typist's  stroke  is  irregular,  special  drills  and  sentences 
must  be  practiced  until  the  correct  touch  is  mastered.  Uneven 
or  incorrect  touch  will  not  only  produce  uneven  coloring,  but  will 
interfere  with  the  attainment  of  speed  and  will  react  on  the  ner- 
vous system  of  the  typist.  The  speed  of  fast  operators  who  have 
an  irregular  touch  will  sometimes,  under  the  pressure  of  a  hard 
day's  assignment,  take  on  something  of  the  quality  of  hysteria. 
This,  of  course,  is  physically  harmful. 

Clogged  type  means  poor  ribbons  or  a  slovenly  typist.  Type 
must  be  cleaned  as  often  as  is  necessary.  Some  types  may  have 
to  be  cleaned  once  or  twice  a  day.  A  stiff  type  brush  and  a 
well-pointed  toothpick  or  orangewood  stick  should  be  used. 

The  poor  ribbon  or  the  worn-out  platen  brings  us  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  typist's  knowledge  of  the  tools  of  his  trade.  In  the 
final  analysis,  it  is  b^^  his  tj^ped  letter  that  he  is  judged.  Whatever 
affects  the  appearance  of  that  letter  should  be  of  vital  interest  to 
him.  A  poorly  inked  or  worn-out  ribbon,  or  a  platen  that  has 
become  worn  through  the  pounding  of  thousands  of  types,  will 
produce  an  uneven  coloring  in  the  letter,  as  different  types  strike 
unevenly  into  its  furrowed  surface.  The  dictator  may  not 
realize  how  important  it  is  for  the  stenographer  to  have  his 
machine  in  good  working  order.  All  he  sees  is  that  the  stenog- 
rapher has  produced  an  unsatisfactory  letter.  The  stenographer, 
therefore,  must  be  familiar  with  the  various  kinds  and  grades  of 
ribbons,  with  the  weights  and  qualities  of  carbon  paper,  and  with 
the  mechanism  of  his   machine.     He  must  be  able  to  test  in- 


OFFICE   MAIL  — OUTGOING  37 


B.ALTMAN  &,  Co. 


Uovemter  8th,  1916. 


llrs.  WUllGn  P.  SclB^ler, 
Sew  Haven, 

OODIt. 

Sear  Madami- 


We  have  made  arrangmenta  to  hold,  lo  the  near 
future,   a  most   extraordinarily  Interesting  and  Important  a&le     of 

C  H  0  I  C  K         0  R  I  E  K  T  A  L         RUGS 


at    vary     remarlcable     price     concessions 

and  which  has  Ijeen  made  poseltle  only  through  our  having  effected 
enormous  purchases  In  the  Oriental  Rug  Marts  during  1913  and  1914, 
prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 


When  our  representatives  «ere  traversing  the 
Orient' in  quest  of  these  Rugs,  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  still 
further  developing  our  wholesale  trade  in  Amerioa.  But  the 

suhsequent  scarcity  of  rugs,   owing  to  oondltioca   ahroad,  maHee  it 
advisahle  to  conserve  our  stockf   almost  exclusively  to  our  retail 
patronage.       As  a  consequence,  we  have  assenVled  on  our   floors  at 
the  present   time   liie  largest,  most  valuable  and  most  representa- 
tive collection  since  estehllshing  trusiness   connections     in     the 
Orient. 


It  19  our  pleasure  to  extend  to  you  a  cordial 
Invitation  to  insnect  these  rugs  at  your  leisure,  and  avail  your- 
self of  this  unutual  offering. 


Very  truly  yours. 


46861 


38  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

telligently  samples  of  materials  submitted  by  dealers,  and  to 
give  written  reports  to  his  employer  on  materials  that  he  thinks 
it  might  be  wise  to  purchase,  setting  forth  points  of  superiority 
ajid  cost  for  comparison  with  materials  now  in  use. 

Ribbons.  —  Typewriter  ribbons  are  laiown  as  record,  copying, 
and  hectograph. 

Record  ribbons  are  so  made  and  inked  as  to  produce  clean  and 
clear  work.  They  may  be  obtained  in  almost  any  color  or  in  two 
colors,  solid  black  being  the  favorite.  They  cannot  be  used  where 
letter-press  copies  are  wanted.  It  is  a  law  in  some  states  that 
they  must  be  used  in  typewriting  legal  work. 

Copying  ribbons  are  so  made  and  inked  that  the  finished  letter 
may,  by  means  of  moisture,  be  copied  by  the  letter-press  into  a 
letter-press  book  or  on  tissue  sheets  by  a  roller-press  copier. 
Where  letters  are  copied  by  either  of  these  processes,  this 
type  of  ribbon  must  be  used.  (Note  paragraph  on  the  Letter- 
Press,  page  59.)  They  may  be  obtained  in  a  variety  of  colors. 
Some  will  typewrite  in  one  color  and  copy  in  another.  A  letter 
may  be  written  in  black  and  appear  in  the  letter-press  copy 
in  green.  Copying  ribbons  have  one  disadvantage :  as  they  are 
rather  heavily  inked,  letters  will  not  present  so  clear  an  ap- 
pearance as  when  written  with  record  ribbons. 

Two-color  ribbons  are  called  Bi-chrome  —  the  upper  half  of  the 
strip  in  one  color  and  the  lower  half  in  another.  These  ribbons 
are  used  when  it  is  desired  to  emphasize  certain  words,  figures,  or 
symbols.  The  contrast  in  color  does  this  admirabl3^  Black  and 
red  are  favorite  combinations,  but  others  may  be  secured.  Record 
and  copying  ribbons  may  be  combined  in  the  bi-chrome  ribbon. 

Both  record  and  copying  ribbons  may  be  bought  either  heavily 
inked,  moderately  inked,  or  lightly  inked,  and  the  ribbon  boxes  are 
sometimes  so  labeled.  The  heavily  inked  ribbon  will  last  longer, 
but  will  make  rather  heayj'  copies  for  the  first  few  days.  The 
lightly  inked  ribbon  will  not  last  so  long,  but  will  make  neat  copies 
from  the  beginning.  The  moderately  inked  ribbon  is  best  for 
ordinary  use. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  39 

Hectograph  ribbons  are  specially  prepared  ribbons  that  are 
used  for  all  work  which  is  to  be  copied  later  on  a  hectograph  or 
by  any  gelatin  process. 

It  is  occasionally  necessary  for  a  stenographer  to  use  a  record 
ribbon  for  part  of  his  work,  a  copying  ribbon  for  another  part,  and  a 
hectograph  ribbon  for  filling  in  printed  forms  that  are  afterwards 
to  be  taken  off  on  the  hectograph.  This  problem  may  be  solved 
by  purchasing  a  bi-chrome  ribbon  in  black  record  and  blue  copy, 
cutting  off  a  yard  or  two  at  the  end  and  replacing  it  with  a  strip 
of  hectograph  ribbon. 

Carbon.  —  For  the  average  business  correspondence,  where  one 
carbon  copy  of  a  letter  is  made,  a  medium  weight  carbon  sheet  is 
used.  Qualities  and  prices  vary.  Some  carbons  produce  almost  as 
clear  impressions  as  original  letters,  and  will  not  smudge  even  when 
rubbed  with  the  fingers.  Others  smudge  so  easily  that  merely 
handling  the  copies  will  render  them  almost  indecipherable.  The 
more  expensive  grades  will  make  three  or  four  good  copies  on 
fairly  heavy  bond  paper  at  one  writing.  Good  carbon  paper 
represents  a  considerable  expenditm'e  of  money,  but  it  is  an  invest- 
ment worth  while.  One  method  of  testing  the  quality  of  carbon 
is  to  keep  the  first  and  last  copies  made  with  a  sheet  of  carbon, 
together  with  a  memorandum  of  the  number  of  pages  of  notes 
written  with  it  and  the  price  of  the  material.  The  same  test 
should  be  applied  to  the  carbon  then  in  use.  A  comparison  of 
the  two  brands  will  show  at  a  glance  which  of  the  two  is  the 
better  investment. 

Typewriting  Machines.  —  Typewriting  machines  are  expensive. 
The  operator  who  does  not  take  good  care  of  his  machine  not  only 
paves  the  way  for  poor  work  that  will  react  against  him,  but  he 
is  not  identif3dng  his  employer's  interests  with  his  own.  Each 
morning  the  machine  should  be  dusted  thoroughly  and  the  type 
cleaned,  and  at  night  it  should  be  covered  to  protect  it  from  dust. 
It  should  be  oiled  every  two  or  three  weeks  and  kept  in  constant 
repair  as  to  alignment,  tension,  roller,  and  other  parts.  The 
average   employer    realizes    that   his    machines   have   cost   him 


40 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


Chicago,    Kovem'ber   1,    1916 


Dear  Sin 

your  letter  of  August  31  with  enclosed 
questionnaire  is  received.      The  University  of 
Chicago  is  glad  to  supply  such  information  as  has 
been  collected  on  the  subject  in  which  you  are 
interested,  and  the  papers  will  be  returned  to  you 
as  soon  as  is  practioahle.     If  other  points  occur 
to  you  on  which  a  more  detailed  statement  would  he 
of  service,  please  do  not  hesitate  to  call  upon  this 
office  for  assistance. 


Yours  very  trulj 


^^^^-^ r 


Secretary  to  the  President 


Mr.  James  A.  White 

6901  Cottage  Grove  Ave.,  Chicago 


OFFICE    MAIL  — OUTGOING  41 

money,  and  he  is  willing  to  pay  the  slight  cost  necessary  to  keep 
them  in  perfect  condition.  Occasionally  he  may  fail  to  realize 
this,  but  a  tactful  stenographer  can  soon  convince  him  that  it  is 
worth  while.  Moreover,  efficient  workers  will  not  remain  long 
with  shiftless  employers. 

Mechanics  of  the  Language 

Spelling.  —  The  boy  or  girl  who  cannot  spell  may  not  hope  to 
become  a  successful  stenographer.  Other  callings  are  open  to 
him,  but  not  that  of  stenographer.  The  habit  of  correct  spelling 
is  essential,  but  the  dictionary  habit  must  be  assiduously  cultivated 
as  well.  The  proper  divisions  of  words  at  the  ends  of  lines  and 
hyphenation  give  trouble  at  times. 

The  correct  spelling  of  proper  names  is  even  more  important 
than  the  spelling  of  ordinary  words.  An  occasional  misspelled 
word  may  be  forgiven  on  the  ground  that  a  slip  occurred  some- 
where, but  there  are  people  who  will  not  excuse  the  misspelling 
of  their  names.  If  Mr.  Browne  spells  his  name  with  an  "  e," 
spell  it  with  an  "  e."  If  Mr.  Jones-Smith  hyphenates  his  name, 
use  the  hyphen.  If  Mr.  Smith  spells  his  name  "  Smyth  "  or 
"Smythe,"  do  the  same.  If  Mr.  Smythe  has  been  doing  business 
with  a  house  for  even  a  short  time,  and  their  letters  to  him 
indicate  that  they  know  him  as  "  Smith,"  he  cannot  be  blamed 
for  refusing  to  continue  with  people  who  to  him  are  either  in- 
different or  careless  in  their  methods  of  doing  business. 

Even  the  best  speller  may  find  difficulty,  during  his  first  week 
in  an  office,  with  the  spelling  of  the  technical  terms  used.  Em- 
ployers do  not  always  realize  this.  However,  if  the  stenog- 
rapher will  make  a  study  of  the  letter-press  book  or  files,  if  he  will 
read  over  the  catalogues,  pamphlets,  or  trade  papers  in  which 
the  firm  may  be  interested  and  which  they  may  quote  constantly, 
if  he  will  purchase  a  shorthand  dictionary  and  look  up  and 
practice  the  outlines  of  every  new  word  he  encounters,  in  an  in- 
credibly short  time  he  will  have  a  vocabulary  that  will  enable  him 
to  take  dictation  with  ease. 


42  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Composition.  —  It  is  a  very  difficult  thing  to  dictate  offhand' 
a  letter  that  will  read  well.  The  writer  polishes  his  thoughts  be- 
fore presenting  them  to  his  public,  the  orator  may  prepare  and 
memorize  his  speech  long  before'  it  is  given,  but  the  business  man 
must  say  what  he  has  to  say  and  say  it  quickly.  Even  well- 
educated  men,  with  their  minds  on  the  thought  and  not  on  the 
language  in  which  the  thought  is  clothed,  may  make  errors ;  and 
while  it  is  true  that  the  dictator  is  responsible  for  the  style  of  the 
business  letter,  an  educated  man  will  usually  appreciate  and 
recognize  the  help  he  may  receive  from  an  educated  stenographer. 
It  is  the  partly  educated  or  almost  illiterate  man  who  is  more 
difficult  to  handle.  Yet  even  here  the  stenographer  can  glide 
silently  into  these  situations  and  supply  the  help  that  is  so  badly 
needed,  without  giving  offense.  Men  rarely  like  to  admit  their 
deficiencies  in  English  and  a  tactful  stenographer  will  never 
make  such  an  admission  necessary.  This  type  of  assistant  will 
realize  that  a  man  who  is  able  to  organize  and  run  a  business, 
even  though  handicapped  educationally,  is  entitled  to  respect 
for  his  mental  and  executive  ability. 

It  is  the  stenographer's  business  to  keep  his  grammatical  rules 
well  in  mind,  to  understand  where  and  how  to  punctuate,  to 
use  commercial  abbreviq,tions  properly,  to  know  the  proper 
forms  of  address  and  salutation  for  people  in  all  ranks  of  life  — 
or,  at  least,  to  know  where  to  obtain  such  information.  Books  of 
reference  may  always  be  consulted,  and  an  alert  stenographer  will, 
in  addition,  become  familiar  with  good  books  on  business  English 
and  will  make  use  of  the  suggestions  they  offer.  He  will  consider  it 
money  well  invested  to  take  special  courses  in  general  composition 
and  business  English,  and  he  will  find  that  courses  of  this  kind  are 
part  of  the  evening  work  of  many  secondary  schools  and  colleges. 

Editing.  —  No  letter  should  be  submitted  for  signature  that  has 
not  been  edited  by  the  stenographer,  i.e.,  read  over  carefully  to 
see  that  it  makes  sense  and  that  there  are  no  typewriting  errors. 
This  editing  is  best  done  before  the  letter  is  removed  from  the 
machine,  as  it  is  then  easier  to  make  slight  changes. 


OFFICE    MAIL  —  OUTGOING  43 


UNIVERSITY   OF  CALIFORNIA 
OFFICE    OF  THE    PRESIDENT 


Berkeley,  October  30,  1916, 

Hsr  dear  Dr.  Brodeuri 

I  thank  you  very  nuch  for 
sending  me  a  copy  of  your  translation  of  the  Prose 
Edda.  It  certainly  is  much  inore  than  a  transla- 
tion. Too  have  thrown  your  own  rigour  and  person- 
ality into  the  work.  It  would  seem  to  me  that  the 
■book  Is  likely  to  be  very  much  appreciated  and  used. 
Very  sincerely  yours. 


Or,   A.  a.   Brodeur, 

2617  Virginia  Street, 
Berkeley. 


44  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

Systematizing  the  Work 

Systematizing  the  typing  of  the  correspondence  involves  the 
principles  that  were  followed  in  systematizing  the  handling  of 
the  mail. 

It  is  your  first  day  in  a  business  office.  You  are  given  a  desk 
with  three  drawers  on  each  side,  and  a  drop  table  in  the  middle 
which  holds  the  typewriter.  You  have  been  told  that  letters  are 
written  in  block  style,  single  spaced,  with  double  spaces  between 
paragraphs,  and  that  a  carbon  copy  is  made  of  each  letter  on  a 
thin  grade  of  paper.  You  are  also-  told  that  the  initials  of  the 
dictator  and  of  the  stenographer  are  to  appear  in  the  lower 
left-hand  corner  of  each  sheet.  You  find  in  the  desk  large  letter- 
heads, half  size  sheets,  stamped  envelopes,  some  plain  white 
unstamped  envelopes,  thin  tissue  sheets  for  carbon  copies,  and 
some  letter  size  sheets  of  paper  that  bear  only  the  name  of  the 
house  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner  —  the  second  sheet  letter- 
heads. You  are  told  that  carbon  copies  are  to  be  placed  in  a  wire 
tray  for  the  filing  clerk,  and  that  the  letters  you  write  will  be 
collected  several  times  each  day. 

Arrangement  of  Tools  and  Materials.  —  Place  those  articles 
needed  most  frequently  nearest  to  your  right  hand.  The  fol- 
lowing general  arrangement  may  be  found  good : 

Eraser 

Fastened  to  front  of  typewriter  with  string  long  enough  to  permit 
of  easy  use 

Desk  —  right  side 

Stenography  notebook  and  box  of  sharpened  pencils 

Wire  tray  for  finished  letters 

Desk  tickler  or  memorandum  pad 
Desk  —  left  side 

Sheet  letter-size  carbon  paper 

Wire  tray  for  carbon  copies  of  letters 
Top  Drawer  —  right  side 

Letter-heads  and  second  sheet  letter-heads 

Half  sheets  at  rear  of  drawer  (drawer  slightly  open) 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  45 


Marshall  Field  6c  Comraist 

Ab.^MS.  OriNCY.  FRVSKLfN  A\D   FiFTH  A%X. 

Chicago    October  38,  1916. 


Simon  Kewman  Company, 
Newman,   California. 


Gentlemen: 


Answering  yours  of  the  21st,  claiift- 
Ing  short  one  dozen  Trousers  invoiced  September 
16th,  will  say  that  our  shipment  of  that  date  con- 
sisted of  one  case  of  Cotton  Knit  Underwear  and 
one  bale  of  Cotton  Sheeting,  and  from  the  records 
here  we  would  say  that  nothing  besides  this  one 
doaen  went  into  the  Underwear  case. 

Please,  therefore,  look  up  the  Rail- 
roaid  Company's  billing,  and  if  you  find  that  the 
oase  was  not  delivered,  we  will  start  tracer.  The 
shipment  should  be  the  one  covered  by  our  receipt 
of  September  19th. 

Tours  very  truly, 
MARSHALL  FIELD  &  COMPANY. 


UD 
PRAHMAN 


46  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Top  Draioer  —  left  side 

Tissue  sheets  for  carbon  copies  (drawer  open) 
Second  Drawer  —  right  side 

Envelopes  in  separate  piles  (drawer  open) 

This  leaves  three  drawers  for  storing  reference  books,  notebooks, 
general  supplies,  and  cleaning  materials. 

Order  of  Operations.  —  A  common  criticism  of  beginners  is, 
that  even  though  they  may  typewrite  a  fairly  good  letter,  they 
cannot  handle  a  day's  correspondence  with  the  facility  of  the 
experienced  stenographer.  The  abilitj^  to  handle  a  day's  work  with 
ease  and  rapidity  is  largely  the  result  of  following  some  definite 
order  of  operations  —  doing  the  same  mechanical  thing  in  the  same 
way  day  after  day,  and  so  becoming  skillful  in  the  manipulation  of 
materials  and  tools.  To  do  this  well,  there  should  be  little  or  no 
wasted  activity.  Concentrate  upon  the  following  for  a  day  or 
two,  and  good  working  habits  will  soon  be  formed : 

Inserting  Paper 

1  Write  envelope  first,  place  in  tray  on  right 

2  Remove  tissue  sheet  from  left  top  drawer  with  left  hand 

3  Transfer  to  right  hand,  and  use  left  to  remove  carbon  sheet  from 

desk,  placing  carbon  on  top  of  tissue  sheet 

4  Transferring  both  to  left  hand,  remove  letter-head  from  drawer 

with  right  hand  and  place  on  top 

5  Insert  in  machine  with  top  edges  even 
Removing  Paper 

1  Press  release  lever  and  remove  letter  from  machine 

2  Place  finished  letter  in  traj'  on  right 

3  With  left  hand  place  carbon  sheet  on  desk,  left 

4  Place  carbon  copy  in  tray,  left 

The  next  step  will  be  to  study  the  letter-heads,  decide  upon 
the  typewritten  form  to  be  used,  adjust  the  machine  for  that 
form,  and  then  begin  to  study  the  letters  or  the  literature  of  the 
house. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

What  is  meant  by  the  block  system  of  typewriting  letters? 
Using  your  school   letter-head,  state  how  you  would  arrange  your 
marginal  and  tabular  stops,  so  as  to  obtain  a  weU-placed  letter. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  47 

Describe  the  method  of  erasing  on  carbon  copies  while  they  are  still 
in  the  machine. 

Mention  three  causes  of  uneven  coloring  in  a  typewritten  letter. 

What  is  meant  by  a  bi-chrome  ribbon,  a  record  ribbon,  and  a  hecto- 
graph ribbon? 

Mention  two  books  that  you  would  consider  valuable  to  have  on  hand 
for  ready  reference  while  engaged  in  getting  out  the  mail. 


SECTION   3 

MAILING   THE    CORRESPONDENCE 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  annoying  things  in  the  experience  of 
the  business  man  is  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  a  correspondent, 
in  answer  to  one  which  he  carefully  thought  out,  saying  that 
the  printed  matter  referred  to  in  the  letter  has  not  been  received. 

Enclosures 

The  young  stenographer  is  inclined  to  forget  enclosures.  He 
should  train  himself  to  note  the  statement  "  We  are  enclosing," 
make  it  a  rule  to  obtain  the  enclosure  referred  to  as  soon  as  he 
reaches  these  words  in  a  letter,  and  place  it  immediately  in  the 
envelope. 

Small  pamphlets  and  printed  matter.  —  These  may  be  kept  in 
the  desk  and  within  easy  reach  of  the  hand.  If  the  custom  of 
addressing  the  envelope  first  is  adhered  to,  it  is  a  simple  matter 
to  insert  the  enclosure. 

Stamps.  —  Money  in  small  amounts  is  sometimes  sent  in  the 
form  of  stamps.  These  should  never  be  placed  loosely  in  an  en- 
velope, but  should  be  folded  between  paper  or  placed  in  a  piece  of 
waxed  paper  or  a  small  waxed  envelope.  This  will  prevent  gum- 
ming. 

Currency.  —  Because  of  the  danger  of  loss,  currency  remittances 
are  seldom  mad©  through  the  mail.  If  the  money  must  be  sent  in 
this  way,  the  letter  should  l>e  registered.  Sometimes  coin  cur- 
rency is  sent  in  coin  cards.     This  method  is  used  occasionally 


48  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

in  ordering    inexpensive   articles   by   mail  or  in   making   small 
contributions  to  charities,  but  it  is  not  safe. 

Checks.  —  Business  houses  remit  by  check.  It  is  the  safest 
method,  for  the  canceled  check  or  voucher  serves  as  a  receipt. 

Postal  Money  Orders.  —  For  people  who  have  not  bank 
accounts,  the  postal  money  order  is  safe  and  inexpensive.  The 
drawer  of  a  postal  money  order  goes  to  the  post-office,  makes  out 
an  application,  indicating  his  name  and  address,  the  name  and 
address  of  the  payee,  and  the  amount.  He  then  pays  to  the  postal 
clerk  the  money  in  question,  plus  the  required  fee.  The  clerk 
makes  out  and  gives  to  the  drawer  an  order  on  the  post-office 
of  the  payee  to  pay  to  the  latter  the  sum  called  for.  The  drawer 
retains  a  slip  as  receipt  and  sends  the  money  order  to  the  payee, 
who  can  indorse  it  and  deposit  it  as  he  would  a  check,  or  cash  it 
on  identification  at  his  post-office.  In  other  words,  the  drawer 
deposits  a  certain  sum  in  the  post-office,  and  draws  a  check  against 
that  deposit  to  the  credit  of  the  payee. 

These  money  orders  may  also  be  made  out  on  foreign  countries. 
In  that  case,  the  law  requires  that  the  application  shall  not  be 
made  out  by  any  one  connected  officially  with  the  post-office.  The 
drawer  himself,  or  some  one  for  him,  must  make  it  out.  The  post- 
office  clerk  makes  out  the  money  order,  which  is  sent  in  the 
same  wa}'^  as  the  domestic  money  order. 

Express  Money  Orders.  These  are  issued  by  the  various  express 
companies.  It  is  not  necessary  to  make  out  a  written  applica- 
tion. A  verbal  request  will  suffice.  (For  information  regarding 
money  sent  by  telegraph,  sec  page  151.) 

Verifying  Amounts.  —  In  all  cases  of  money  remittances,  the 
careful  stenographer  will  verify  the  amount  mentioned  in  the 
letter  with  the  amount  shown  on  the  check  or  money  order. 

Where  enclosures  must  be  obtained  from  the  cashier  or  from 
some  other  source  in  the  office,  the  time  to  obtain  them  is  when 
the  letter  is  being  written.  If  this  is  impossible,  a  note  should  be 
.pinned  or  clipped  to  the  envelope,  so  that  it  will  be  automatically 
called  to  attention  when  the  letter  is  signed. 


OFFICE    MAIL  —  OUTGOING 


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50  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Printed  Matter  under  Separate  Cover 

Material  that  is  too  bulky  to  go  into  the  ordinary  envelope  is 
sent  in  a  separate  wrapper.  The  stenographer  usually  wraps  and 
addresses  the  catalogue  or  booklet  when  he  writes  the  letter.  If  the 
mailing  department  attends  to  this,  he  should  send  the  addressed 
wrapper  to  that  department.  The  important  thing  is  to  see  that 
printed  matter  is  sent  out  in  the  same  mail  with  the  letter  — 
earlier,  if  possible.  Printed  matter  is  charged  for  and  sent  as 
third  class  mail,  and  it  may  be  delayed  in  transit.  Some  houses 
number  all  catalogues  and  booklets,  and  the  stenographer  places 
the  number  of  the  booklet  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the 
letter. 

Signing  the  Mail 

In  large  houses,  the  mail  is  collected  by  office  boys  at  certain 
intervals  during  the  day,  is  signed,  and  is  sent  out.  The  hours 
at  which  such  mail  is  collected  are  usually  selected  with  reference 
to  certain  fast  trains.  This  question  of  mail  for  special  trains  is 
discussed  in  the  section  on  Expediting  the  Correspondence,  page  56. 
In  some  professional  offices,  mail  is  signed  almost  as  soon  as  it  is 
written.  In  other  houses,  all  mail  is  signed  at  the  close  of  the 
day.  Whatever  is  the  custom,  the  stenographer  should  so  plan 
his  work  as  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  office. 

Preparing  Mail  for  the  Post-Office 

Folding  by  Hand.  —  The  actual  folding  and  insertion  of  letters 
into  envelopes  may  be  the  work  of  the  stenographer  in  the  small 
professional  office,  or  the  work  of  the  ofiice  boy  or  the  mailing 
clerk  in  the  larger  office.  The  best  method  of  folding  a  letter  is 
the  one  that  will  make  its  reading  most  convenient  for  the  recipient. 
One  method  used  for  letters  to  be  placed  in  small  envelopes,  is  : 

1  Fold  letter  up  to  within  one-half  inch  of  top  of  sheet 

2  Fold  left  side  over  less  than  one  third  of  width 

3  Fold  over  again  the  same   distance,   leaving  a  slight  flap   at 

right-hand  side 

4  Insert  letter  in  envelope  with  flap  facing  you 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING 


51 


When  the  letter  is  removed  from  the  envelope,  it  will  open  al- 
most automatically. 

In  folding  letters  for  large  envelopes,  the  first  fold  should  be 
one-third  from  the  bottom,  the  next  fold  an  equal  distance  from 
the  first,  leaving  a  flap  exposed  at  the  top. 

Some  corporations  use  large  letter-heads  and  /'window"  en- 
velopes.    In  folding  their  letters,  the  first  fold  is  fi-om  tho  ])ottom 


Courtesy  of  American  Multigraph  Sales  Co. 
Folding  Machine 

and  one-third  of  the  distance  up.  The  folded  two-thirds  of  the 
sheet  are  then  folded  under,  so  that  the  name  and  address  of  the 
recipient  are  on  top.  The  letter  is  inserted  in  the  window  envelope, 
with  the  name  and  address  showing  through. 

One  careless  mistake  that  young  clerks  make  is  placing  letters 
in  wrong  envelopes.  Aside  from  the  delay  occasioned,  serious 
trouble  may  ensue.  The  clerk  ought  to  check  the  name  on  the 
letter  with  that  on  the  envelope. 


52 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Courtesy  of  Custunan  & 
Dennison 

Moistening  Device 


Folding  Machines.  —  Certain  machines  have  been  invented  to 

fold  mail,  and  where  more  than  one  thousand  letters  are  sent  out 
in  a  day,  these  may  be  used  to  advantage. 
When  using  machines  of  this  type,  see  that  the 
envelopes  are  stacked  so  that  the  folded  letter 
will  automatically  go  into  its  proper  envelope. 
Sealing  by  Hand.  —  Where  the  quantity  of 
mail  to  be  sealed  is  small,  the  envelopes  are 
usually  spread  out  so  that  all  the  gummed  flaps 
are  exposed.     A  wet  sponge  or  a  patent  moist- 

ener,  which  consists  of  a  glass  tube  filled  with  water,  in  the  end  of 

which  a   piece  of   felt  is    in- 
serted,   is    passed    over    the 

gummed  flaps.      Each  flap  is 

then  fastened  down  by  hand. 

Another  device  consists  of  a 

tin  cup  with  perforated  top, 

in  which  there  is  a  wet  sponge. 

The  flap  of   the  envelope   is 

passed  across  the  wet  surface. 

The   device  illustrated  has  a 

dampened  roller  which  takes 

the  place  of  the  sponge. 

Sealing      Machines.  —  Ma- 
chines are  now  on  the  market 

that  will  seal   5000   to   6000 

envelopes  in  an  hour.     They 

are  used  in  the  larger  houses. 

A   machine   of    this    kind    is 

illustrated  here. 

Stamping  by  Hand.  —  There 

is    only    one    correct    place    for  courtesy  of  American  MuIUgraph  Sales  Co. 

.  .,  •    1  .  Sealing  Machine 

a    stamp  —  the   upper   right- 
hand  corner  of  the  envelope.     The  post-offices  use  machines  that 
automatically  cancel  stamps.     If  the  stamp  is  placed  incorrectly, 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  53 

the  postal  employee  must  turn  the  envelope  around  or  put  it 
aside  for  later  stamping.  A.  delay  of  three  or  four  hours  in 
delivery  may  result  because  a  careless  clerk  has  not  done  his 
work  properly. 

When  the  office  mail  is  stamped  by  hand,  the  stamps  are  usually 
bought  in  sheets  of  one  hundred.  The  sheet  is  folded  over  and 
over  to  the  width  of  one  stamp.  The  sheet  is  then  torn  quickly 
into  strips  of  ten  stamps  each,  the  strips  are  moistened,  and  the 
stamps  affixed  quickly  to  the  envelopes,  which  should  be  so 
arranged  as  to  facilitate  quick  handling.  Care  must  be  taken  to 
see  that  stamps  adhere  to  envelopes.  If  pasted  loosely,  they  will 
curl  up  and  fall  off. 

Stamping  Machines.  —  There  are  stamping  machines  in  which 
stamps  are  placed  and  locked,  and  which  register  the  number  of 
stamps  used.  Letters  are  stamped  by  punching  them  with  this 
machine. 

There  are  other  machines  on  the  market  that  will  seal  and 
stamp  the  mail  at  the  same  time. 

Postal  Regulations 

InsuflBLcient  Postage.  —  Responsibility  for  insufficient  postage 
must  be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  mailing  clerk.  In  sending 
letters  and  packages,  the  recipient  should  be  considered,  and  mail 
clerks  and  stenographers  ought  to  be  familiar  with  the  regula- 
tions covering  domestic  and  foreign  mail.  What  happens  when  a 
letter  is  received  with  insufficient  postage? 

In  the  United  States,  the  mail  carrier  will  not  deliver  the  letter 
until  the  addressee  has  paid  the  excess  postage  due.  The. impres- 
sion naturally  created  by  the  receipt  of  such  a  letter  is  that  the 
writer  is  either  careless  or  that  he  does  not  consider  the  convenience 
of  his  correspondent. 

In  foreign  countries,  and  particularly  in  South  America,  the 
matter  may  cause  great  inconvenience  to  the  correspondent. 
The  following  paragraph,  quoted  from  the  February,  1915,  issue 
of  Americas  is  illuminating : 


54 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


"It  costs  five  cents  for  a  one-ounce  letter  to  Buenos  Aires. 
If  your  office  boy  puts  a  two-cent  stamp  on  the  letter  you  have 
indited  so  diplomatically,  this  is  what  wiU  happen  :  The  Buenos 
Aires  post-office  will  notify  the  addressee  that  there  is  a  letter 
for  him  with  insufficient  postage.  He  will  have  to  go  or  send 
for  it.  At  the  post-office  he  will  be  required  to  pay  six  cents 
—  three  for  the  postage  you  did  not  put  on,  and  three  more  as 
a  fine  for  your  fault.  If  you  receive  no  reply  to  the  letter, 
you  may  speculate  whether  the  Buenos  Aires  business  man 
refused  to  take  the  letter  at  all,  or  whether,  having  been  at 
trouble  and  expense,  he  has  failed  to  appreciate  your  interest  in 
him." 


It  is  said  that  if  Americans  knew  how  much  South  American 
business  is  lost  simply  because  this  question  of  postage  is  not  given 
proper  consideration,  they  would  supervise  their  mailing  depart- 
ments more  rigidly. 

Foreign  Addresses.  — The  street  name  and  number  must  appear 
on  all  letters  to  foreign  correspondents.  In  certain  countries, 
letters  that  are  not  fully  addressed  are 
placed  in  the  "  General  Delivery "  to 
await  the  inquiry  of  the  addressee  and  it 
may  be  weeks  before  the  letter  finally 
reaches  him. 

Postal  Scales.  —  All  mailing  depart- 
ments are  equipped  with  postal  scales. 
These  come  in  various  sizes  and  kinds. 
Some  models  show  not  only  the  weight, 
but  the  postage  required  on  each  class 
of  mail.  When  in  doubt,  weigh  your 
mail. 
Safeguarding  Mail.  —  To  guard  against  loss  of  letters,  it  is 
customary  to  have  the  sender's  name  and  address  printed  in  the 
upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  envelope  or  on  the  back  of  the  flap. 
It  is,  therefore,  desirable  to  mark  all  packages  with  this  informa- 
tion. If  it  does  not  appear  and  the  sender  cannot  be  found, 
the  letter  or  package  is  sent  to  the  Dead  Letter  Office  at  Wash- 


Courtesy  of  Trlner  Scale  Co. 
Postal  Scale 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  55 

ington,  where  it  is  opened.  If  there  is  any  clue  to  the  address 
of  the  writer,  it  is  returned,  but  only  after  considerable  time  has 
elapsed. 

Occasionally  a  letter  that  is  addressed  correctly  is  lost  in  the 
mails.  On  request,  the  post-office  authorities  will  make  an  effort 
to  find  it.     This  is  known  as  sending  a  tracer  after  a  letter. 

Registering  Mail.  —  The  post-office  is  not  responsible  for  letters 
or  packages  lost  in  transit,  unless  they  are  registered  or  insured. 
If  a  letter  contains  valuable  enclosures  or  any  currencj^,  register 
it.  In  addition  to  the  regular  postage,  a  ten-cent  stamp  is  placed 
on  the  envelope,  and  the  letter  turned  in  at  the  registry  window 
of  the  post-office.  The  postal  clerk  will  give  a  receipt  for  it.  A 
duplicate  receipt  will  be  sent  out  with  the  letter,  and  the  recipient 
will  be  required  by  the  mail  carrier  to  sign  it.  If  the  sender  de- 
sires, this  receipt  will  be  sent  to  him,  provided  he  writes  across 
the  face  of  his  letter  "  Receipt  demanded."  The  post-office  is 
responsible  to  the  sender  for  the  full  amount  in  case  such  a  letter 
is  lost,  not  exceeding  $50. 

Insuring  Mail.  —  Domestic  parcel  post  packages  may  not  be 
registered,  but  they  may  be  insured.  For  a  fee  of  3  cents,  in 
addition  to  the  regular  postage,  the  package  will  be  insured  for 
not  exceeding  $5  in  value  ;  for  5  cents,  not  exceeding  $25  in  value  ; 
for  10  cents,  not  exceeding  $50  in  value,  and  for  25  cents,  the 
value  may  be  raised  to  $100.  The  fee  must  be  in  stamps  on  the 
package  in  addition  to  the  regular  postage.  Foreign  parcel  post 
packages  may  be  registered  but  not  insured,  except  in  the  Canal 
Zone,  Guam,  Shanghai,  and  the  Philippines.  Indemnitj^  for  loss 
on  mail  matter  to  the  Philippines  can  be  claimed  only  when  the 
loss  has  occurred  in  the  U.  S.  postal  service. 

C.  O.  D.  Packages.  —  Domestic  parcel  post  may  be  sent 
c.  o.  d.  In  this  case,  c.  o.  d.  tags,  furnished  by  the  post-office, 
must  be  attached  to  parcels  and  10  cents  extra  postage  placed 
thereon.  The  tag  must  show  the  amount  to  be  collected  and  the 
money  order  fee  covering  this  amount.  The  post-office  will  collect 
amounts  up  to  $100  on  such  packages,  and  make  remittance  to 


56  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

the  sender  by  postal  money  order.     The  package  is  insured  during 
transit  for  its  full  value  up  to  $50. 

In  the  Appendix  will  be  found  information  regarding  postal 
regulations  and  the  classes  of  mail,  with  which  all  office  workers 
should  be  familiar. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

You  wish  to  send  a  money  order  for  $1.50  to  pay  for  your  subscription 
to  the  Ladies'  Home  Journal,  Philadelphia,  Pa.  How  will  you  secure 
your  money  order? 

What  is  the  object  of  registering  mail? 

Define  "window"  envelope,  special  delivery  mail,  coin  cards,  express 
money  orders. 

Why  is  it  important  to  stamp  letters  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner? 

Explain  briefly  what  is  meant  by  insuring  parcel  post  packages. 

SECTION  4 

EXPEDITING  THE  CORRESPONDENCE 

The  United  States  Government,  the  railroads,  and  business 
men  have  worked  over  the  problem  of  getting  mail  to  its  destina- 
tion in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

Fast  Mail  Trains 

Two  of  the  fastest  mail  trains  in  this  country  are  those  of  the 
New  York  Central  and  the  Pennsylvania  Railroads  that  run  be- 
tween New  York  City  and  the  West.  In  addition  to  these  two, 
there  are  many  other  fast  mail  trains,  equipped  with  post-office 
cars  on  which  government  mail  clerks  travel.  These  men  sort 
and  stack  the  mail,  so  that  it  is  ready  for  distribution  when 
it  reaches  its  destination. 

The  mailing  clerk  in  an  office  must  be  familiar  with  the  length 
of  time  necessary  for  a  letter  to  reach  the  more  important  cities. 
He  must  know  when  the  fast  mail  trains  leave  and  must  see  that 
mail  is  sent  to  the  post-office  in  time  to  catch  them.  In  well- 
organized  offices,  mail  is  collected  in  time  to  meet  these  trains. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  57 

The  general  post-office  will  receive  train  mail  until  within  one 
hour  of  the  departure  of  the  train.  In  the  terminal  depots  of 
the  large  railroads  will  be  found  special  letter  boxes  in  which  mail 
for  the  fast  trains  can  be  placed  up  to  within  ten  minutes  of  the 
departure  of  the  train. 

To  determine  mail  time  from  one  city  to  another,  consult  the 
types  of  business  journals  referred  to  in  the  division  on  Office 
Reference  Books,  page  222. 

Foreign  Mail 

The  regular  mail  for  any  special  steamer  closes  at  certain  stations 
of  the  post-office  two  or  three  hours  before  sailing  time.  There 
is  usually  a  supplementary  mail,  however,  which  is  not  sent  out 
from  the  general  post-office,  or  from  the  station  assigned  for  foreign 
service,  until  later.  There  is  sometimes  an  extra  charge  for  such 
mail.  Still  later  mail  is  known  as  dock  mail.  Foreign  letters  may 
usually  be  brought  to  steamers  up  to  about  ten  minutes  before 
sailing  time.  Different  steamship  lines  have  different  usages  as 
to  the  amount  of  extra  postage  required  on  letters  mailed  in  this 
way. 

Special  Delivery 

Sending  a  letter  by  special  delivery  will  save  an  hour  or  two. 
A  ten-cent  special  delivery  stamp  is  placed  on  the  envelope  or 
ten  cents  in  ordinary  postage,  but  in  that  case  the  words  "  Special 
Delivery  "  must  be  written  across  the  face.  Such  letters  leave 
the  post-office  with  the  regular  mail.  When  they  reach  the  post- 
office  of  destination,  they  are  immediately  sent  out  by  a  special 
messenger  during  special  delivery  hours  instead  of  waiting  for  the 
regular  delivery. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

What  class  of  mail  includes  magazines  sent  out  in  bulk  by  publishers  ? 

What  is  the  difference  in  rate  between  the  magazine  you  mail  to  a 
friend  and  the  magazine  the  publisher  mails  to  you  ? 

If  you  received  important  information  that  you  desired  to  send  by 
a  steamer  sailing  within  one  half  hour,  what  steps  would  you  take  to  get 
the  letter  on  board? 


58  OFP^ICE   PRACTICE 

State  two  instances  in  which  you  would  register  a  letter. 
"What  steps  would  you  take  to  send  a  letter  by  special  delivery  ? 


SECTION   5 
COPYING   THE   CORRESPONDENCE 

A  copy  is  kept  of  everything  that  leaves  the  business  office. 
No  one  attempts  nowadays  to  remember  details  that  may  be  found 
in  the  office  files.  The  business  man  saves  his  brain  for  the  big 
things.  It  is  becoming  more  and  more  the  custom  for  office 
managers  to  give  even  instructions  to  employees  in  writing,  so 
that  copies  of  these  instructions  may  be  kept  on  file. 

We  shall  consider  here  the  duplication  of  the  business  letter. 
It  may  be  made  in  any  one  of  three  ways,  each  of  which  has-  its 
advantages  and  disadvantages  for  certain  lines  of  business. 

The  Carbon  Copy 

It  is  advisable  to  use  a  fairly  heavy  grade  of  paper  for  the  carbon 
copy,  as  the  tissue  sheets  sometimes  used  have  a  tendency  to  be- 
come crushed  in  the  files.  If  several  copies  of  a  document  are 
needed,  thinner  paper  must  be  used.  The  thinner  the  paper,  the 
greater  the  number  of  copies  that  may  be  made. 

Advantages  and  Disadvantages.  —  One  advantage  of  the  carbon 
copy  is,  that  it  can  be  made  at  the  same  time  as  the  original  letter 
and  with  a  minimum  of  effort.  A  greater  advantage  is  that  it 
can  be  filed  with  the  letter  to  which  it  is  an  answer,  thus  keeping 
all  correspondence  from  and  to  one  person  in  one  folder.  One 
disadvantage  is,  that  the  signer  of  the  letter  may  alter  the  original 
and  neglect  to  make  the  changes  on  the  carbon.  It  then  ceases 
to  be  a  true  copy  of  the  letter  sent  out.  In  offices  where  the 
carbon  copy  is  used,  the  stenographer  must  see  that  when 
letters  are  returned  for  rewriting,  the  first  carbon  is  destroyed ; 
and  he  should  be  told  when  ink  corrections  are  made  on  originals, 
so  that  he  may  enter  them  on  the  carbon  copy. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING 


59 


The  Letter-Press  Copy 

The  letter-press  copyis  made  in  a  book  consisting  of  tissue  sheets. 
The  process  is  to  moisten  a  sheet  of  the  tissue  paper,  place  the  letter 
to  be  copied  on  top  of  it,  protect  the  dry  tissue  leaves  with  oiled 
boards,  close  the  book,  and  subject  it  to  pressure  in  a  letter-press 
machine.  Typewriter  copying  ribbons  must  be  used  for  letters 
copied  by  this  process.  Copies  of  handwritten  letters  may  be 
made,  provided  copying  ink  is  used. 

Disadvantages.  —  One  great  disadvantage  of  this  method  is  that 
the  correspondence  to  and  from  an  individual  cannot  be  filed  in 
one  folder.  Letters  received  are  filed  in  one  place,  while  copies 
of  the  answers  are  in  the  letter-press  book.  In  looking  up 
correspondence,  it  is  necessary  to  run  through  many  letter-press 
books  in  order  to  assemble  what  is  wanted.  This  is  not  in  accord- 
ance with  good  modern  filing  usage.  Another  disadvantage  is 
that  if  the  copying  clerk  over-moistens  the  tissue  sheet,  a  blurred 
original  and  copy  will  result ; 
and  lastly,  the  process  is  slow 
and  cumbersome. 

Advantages.  —  To  ofTset  all 
this,  it  has  distinct  advantages 
that  account  for  its  use  in  some 
houses.  Its  great  advantage 
is  that  the  copy  is  absolutely 
authentic,  for  it  is  not  made 
until  the  letter  has  been  signed. 
In  steamship  brokers'  offices, 
for  example,  where  almost 
every  letter  is  practically  a 
contract,  this  method  of  dupli- 
cation is  very  much  used.  In  many  houses,  where  there  is  a 
large  foreign  correspondence,  a  book  may  be  assigned  for  the 
mail  of  each  country  —  one  for  German  mail,  one  for  French 
mail,  one  for  South  American  mail,  etc.     Letters  bound  in  this 


Courtesy  of  Yawmaii  &  lOrbo  Mfg.  ('o. 
Letter-Press 


60 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


manner  are  not  apt  to  be  lost.     Even  in  offices  where  the  carbon 
system  of  duphcation  is  used;  there  is  almost  always  need  for  a 

letter-press  method  of  copy- 
ing telegrams  and  special 
papers  of  various  kinds. 

Method  of  Operation.  — 
On  the  careful  operation  of 
the  letter-press  depends  the 
neat  appearance  of  the 
original  letter  and  of  the 
copy  in  the  book.  Before 
inserting  the  letters  to  be 
arrange    the    materials    con- 


Courtesy  of  Cincinnati  Tool  Co. 
Letter-Press  Bath 

copied   in   the   letter-press    book, 
veniently.     The  clerk  will  require  : 


Equipment 
Letter-press 
Letter-press  bath 
Letter-press  clotlis 
Oiled  boards 

Blotters  cut  to  size  of  letter 
Soft  bristle  paint  brush 

Order  of  Operations  for  Typewritten  Letters 

1  Put  oiled  board  in  book  on  left  page  facing  tissue  on  which  letter  is 

to  be  copied 

2  Place  dampened  cloth  on  oiled  board 

3  Bring  over  tissue  sheet  on  which  letter  is  to  be  copied 

4  Place  letter  face  downward  on  tissue  sheet 

5  Repeat  operations  1  to  4  until  all  letters  are  in  book 

6  Place  book  in  letter-press,  press  down  heavy  plate,  and  allow  book 

to  remain  in  machine  for  two  or  three  minutes 

Envelopes  should  be  stacked  face  down.  Where  the  letter  is 
handwritten,  the  following  method,  though  slow,  will  give  ex- 
cellent results : 

Order  of  Operations  for  Handwritten  Letters 

1  Put  oiled  board  in  book,  as  above 

2  Bring  tissue  sheet  over  on  top  of  oiled  board 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  61 

3  Moisten  tissue  sheet  with  soft  bristle  paint  brush 

4  Blot  tissue  sheet  slightly 

5  Place  letter  on  sheet  face  downward 

6  Place  oiled  board  on  top 

7  Repeat  operations  2  to  5  inclusive  until  all  letters  are  in  book 

8  Place  book  in  letter-press,  press  down  heavy  plate,  and  allow  book 

to  remain  in  machine  for  two  or  three  minutes 

In  wetting  cloths,  remember  that  letters  written  with  a  new 
ribbon  will  require  very  little  moisture,  while  an  old  ribbon  will 
require  cloths  fairly  wet.  Experience  alone  will  determine  the 
degree  of  dampness  required.  Cloths  that  are  too  wet  will 
watersoak  and  blur  the  original  letter. 

Order  of  Operations  in  Removing  Letters 

1  Stack  blotters  at  back  of  desk  right 

2  Place  one  blotter  on  desk  right  front 

3  Place  book  center  foreground 

4  Open  hack  cover  of  book,  and  turn  to  last  letter  copied 

5  Remove  letter  and  place  on  blotter  at  right 

6  Remove  one  blotter  from  stack  and  place  in  book 

7  Place  another  blotter  on  top  of  copied  letter  removed 

8  Remove  next  letter 

9  Continue  operations  5  to  8  until  all  letters  have  been  removed 

Drying  Letters 

The  original  letters,  which  were  placed  between  blotters,  should 
be  kept  there  and  run  into  the  press  to  be  dried  thoroughly. 
Damp  letters,  when  inserted  in  envelopes,  will  cause  the  glue  to 
soften. 

Insertion  in  Envelopes 

If  the  envelopes  are  stacked  on  the  desk  face  down,  this  method 
of  removing  letters  will  bring  them  out  in  proper  order  for  insertion 
in  envelopes. 

Care  of  Equipment 

Oiled  boards  and  blotters  should  be  spread  out  to  dry  at  the 
end  of  the  day.  To  prevent  mildew,  cloths  ought  to  be  washed  out 
every  few  days  in  hot  water. 


62 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Indexing  Letter-Press  Books.  —  In  the  front  of  each  letter- 
press book  will  be  found  an  alphabetic  index  consisting  of  a  few 
sheets  for  each  letter  of  the  alphabet.  Strict  alphabetic  index- 
ing is  not  possible,  because  letters  must  be  indexed  in  the  order 
of  dates.  All  that  can  be  done  is  to  enter  the  names  according 
to  the  first  letter.     For  example  : 

Tower  Manufacturing  Co 1,  15,  21,  23,  27,  29,  — 

Thompson  &  Norris  Co 16,  28,  32,  33,  34,  57,  — 

Taire  Stamp  Co 17,  35,  53,  — 

In  some  books,  the  index  page  for  B,  for  instance,  has  five 
columns,  labeled  A,  E,  I,  0,  U  respectively.  Names  beginning 
with  B  and  in  which  the  first  vowel  is  a,  are  entered  in  the  first 
column.  Names  beginning  with  B  and  in  which  the  first  vowel 
is  e,  are  entered  in  the  second  column,  and  so  forth.  This  is  a  bet- 
ter arrangement  than  the  one  noted  above,  but  it  is  not  perfect 
alphabetizing. 

As  it  would  be  inconvenient,  in  looking  through  letters,  to  refer 
to  the  index  each  time,  it  is  customary  to  show,  on  each  page  of 
the  book,  the  number  of  the  page  on  which  the  last  letter  to 
that  correspondent  appears  and  the  number  of  the  page  on  which 
the  next  letter  appears.     This  is  known  as  cross^ndexing . 


Page  3 :  0  indicates  that  the  first   letter  to  this  firm  is  written  on 

this  page ;   25  indicates  that  the  next  letter  wiU  be  found 
on  page  25. 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING 


63 


Page  25 : 


Page  84 : 
Page  116: 


3  indicates  that  the  preceding  letter  will  be  found  on  page 

3 ;  84  indicates  that  the  next  letter  will  be  found  on  page 

84. 

Same  principle  applies  here  as  to  page  25. 

The  line  under  84  indicates  that  the  letter  written  on  page 

116  is  the  last  letter  in  the  book  to  this  correspondent. 


The  Roller-Press  Copier 

This  is  the  modern  type  of  letter-press.     Some  models  contain 
a  metal  bath  in  which  water  is  placed.     A  roll  of  tissue  is  dampened 


CUTTING 
KNIFE-. 


LETTERAS  ITIS 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 

ROLLER-CoPlER    WITH    BaTH 

automatically  when  the  machine  is  operated,  the  letters  are  fed 
into  the  machine  under  a  roller,  and  the  pressure  of  the  roller 
produces  the  copy.  The  original  letters  slip  into  a  basket  and 
the  tissue  roll,  on  which  the  copies  appear,  is  wound  about  a  square 
frame  to  dry.     The  copies  are  cut  off  the  next  morning  and  filed. 


64 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Another  model  eliminates  the  bath  entirely  and  substitutes  a  roll 
of  specially  treated  paper,  which  retains  a  uniform  dampness  for 
weeks. 

Helpful  Suggestions 

Our  talks  on  mailing  and  copying  have  shown  that  the  competent 
mail  clerk  will  not  consider  himself  a  mere  mailing  and  stamping 
machine.     He  will  realize  that  his  position  requires  a  knowledge  of 


Courtesy  ol  Roiieo  Company 

Roller-Copier  without  Bath 


postal  regulations  and  of  railroad  and  steamship  facilities  for  the 
handling  of  mail,  and  that  he  must  utilize  this  knowledge.  He 
will  know  what  kinds  -of  information  he  can  find  in  the  weekly 
transportation  journals  or  bulletins  pul^lished  in  his  city,  and  learn 
how  to  consult  them.  He  will  refer  to  the  postal  guide  for  correct 
post-office  addresses  whenever  there  is  any  doubt,  and  he  will 
make  it  his  business  to  learn  what  books  are  particularly  applicable 
to  the  line  of  business  in  which  he  is  employed.     He  will  have  on 


OFFICE   MAIL  —  OUTGOING  65 

hand  a  parcel  post  map  and  the  circulars  issued  by  the  post-ofRce 
department  on  the  preparation  of  mail.  He  will  see  that  all 
materials  used  by  him  in  connection  with  letter-press  copjang  or 
any  other  work  are  kept  in  good  order,  and  that  they  are  not 
wantonly  destroyed  before  they  have  served  their  usefulness.  If 
stamped  envelopes  are  purchased  from  the  post-ofhce,  he  will  see 
that  provision  is  made  for  retaining  damaged  envelopes  so  that  the 
proper  refund  may  be  collected.  He  will  be  most  punctilious  in 
the  matter  of  handling  stamps  and  other  property  of  the  office. 
Systematizing  the  Work.  —  He  will  apply  the  principles  that 
underlie  systematizing  to  every  branch  of  his  work,  and  his  desk 
will  be  so  arranged  that  the  materials  needed  are  not  only  within 
easy  reach  of  his  hand,  but  always  in  good  condition  for  work. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Explain  the  making  of  a  carbon  copy. 

Copy  in  a  letter-press  book  five  letters  given  to  you  by  your  teacher. 
Index  your  letters  alphabetically. 

Explain  the  method  of  cross-indexing  the  leaves  of  a  letter-press  book. 
Lay  out  a  plan  for  taking  care  of  your  materials,  assuming  that  you 
are  maiUng  clerk  in  a  house  mailing  500  letters  a  day,  and  using  the  letter- 
press method  of  copj-ing. 

State  which  form  of  copying  letters  you  think  would  be  advisable  in 
each  of  the  following  activities  : 

An  electrician's  office,  where  the  manager  has  a  tendency  to  change  his 
letters  in  ink  after  they  have  been  written ; 

A  manufacturing  house,  having  thousands  of  customers,  where  the 
correspondence  consists  largely  of  orders  and  letters  regarding  them ; 
A  broker's  office,  where  very  few  letters  are  received  from  outsiders, 
the  greater  part  of  the  business  being  done  by  telephone  and  through 
interviews,  and  where  the  few  letters  sent  out  are  of  the  nature  of  con- 
tracts. 


PART   III 

OFFICE  RECORDS  — FILING 

Section  1    Office  Records  : 

Classification 

Filing 

Indexing 
Section  2    Correspondence  Filing — Flat  Systems: 

Spindle 

Box  FUe 

Flat  or  Loose  Sheet  Drawer 

Shannon  File 

Transferring 
Section  3    Correspondence  Filing  —  Vertical  Systems : 

Equipment 

Alphabetic  Filing 

Numeric  Filing 

Geographic  Filing 

Subject  Filing 

Follow-up  Filing 

Special  Files 

Transferring 
Section  4    Miscellaneous  Records : 

Loose-leaf  Systems 

Card  Index-Systems 

SECTION  1 

OFFICE   RECORDS 

The  one  purpose  served  by  any  filing  system  is  to  facilitate 
the  finding  of  papers.     Library  Bureau. 

The  modern  business  man  does  not  use  his  brains  as  a  store- 
house for  unnecessary  detail.     Even  if  he  wished  to  do  so,  it 

66 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  67 

would  be  impossible  for  him  to  remember  all  the  transactions  in 
which  he  is  engaged,  all  the  letters  he  has  written,  all  the  prices 
he  has  quoted.  He  depends  upon  the  office  records  to  supply 
this  information  when  needed. 

Classification 

Office  records  may  be  grouped  under  three  headings : 
Correspondence  Records,  consisting  of  all  letters  and  documents 

received  by  the  office,  and  copies  of  all  letters  and  documents  sent 

out. 

"  Miscellaneous  Records,  covering  systems  for  keeping  important 

general  information  on  file. 

Accounting  Records,  providing  purely  financial  data. 

Filing 

Filing  is  the  disposing  of  papers  in  such  a  manner  that  they 
can  be  located  instantly  when  wanted.  Records  filed  in  slipshod 
fashion,  or  in  the  wrong  place,  or  by  some  filing  system  that  does 
not  take  into  consideration  the  needs  of  the  particular  business, 
are  almost  as  useless  as  no  records  at  all. 

A  good  filing  system,  therefore,  must  meet  three  requirements, 
in  the  following  order  of  importance  : 

Papers  must  be  found  quickly 

Papers  must  be  filed  with  the  least  chance  of  error 

The  filing  system  must'  be  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  business 

Instalhng  and  running  systems  that  will  meet  these  require- 
ments have  assumed  such  proportions  in  modern  business  life  that 
they  have  become  very  profitable  lines  of  work,  and  open  at- 
tractive fields  for  students  who  have  a  taste  for  work  of  this  kind. 

The  installation  of  a  filing  system  that  will  take  care  of  a  busi- 
ness handling  one  thousand  to  three  thousand  letters  a  year  is  a 
simple  matter.  Where  the  business  spreads  out  over  ten  to 
fifteen  departments,  each  with  its  particular  needs,  the  problem 
becomes  more  intricate.     And  in  the  case  of  large  corporations 


68 


OFFICE  PRACTICE 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  69 

handling  tons  of  mail  daily,  experts  are  required  to  install  adequate 
systems. 

As  a  letter  or  paper  which  is  misfiled  is  lost,  and  as  it  can 
be  recovered  only  through  accident  or  after  a  search  covering 
hours  or  days,'the  filing  clerk  should  be  impressed  with  a  sense  of 
the  importance  of  his  position  and  of  the  documents  entrusted 
to  his  care.  Irresponsible  clerks  are  rarely  trusted  with  work  of 
this  kind.  Indeed,  one  firm  of  filing  experts  absolutely  refuses 
to  install  a  filing  system  unless  its  management  is  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  clerk  with  sufficient  intelligence  and  sense  of  respon- 
sibility to  follow  the  system  planned. 

Indexing 

As  applied  to  filing,  the  word  "  indexing  "  means  the  separa- 
tion of  records  into  groups  for  easy  reference,  according  to  name, 
number,  location,  or  subject. 

Alphabetizing  enters  into  the  operation  of  any  system  of  filing 
employed.  To  alphabetize  properly,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  place 
all  letters  beginning  with  A  back  of  a  guide  marked  A.  It 
is  necessary  to  arrange  each  card,  or  letter,  or  folder  in  strict 
dictionary  order. 

Dictionary  arrangement  implies  carrying  out  the  alphabetizing 
principle  to  the  last  letter  in  the  word.  When  cards  bearing  the 
names  of  articles  are  to  be  filed,  the  names  must  follow  each  other 
as  they  would  in  the  dictionary.  Cards  are  sometimes  made  out 
for  articles  having  the  same  general  name,  but  with  qualifying 
descriptive  adjectives,  as : 

Saws,  Band 
Saws,  Crosscut 
Saws,  Hack 

These  should  be  filed  alphabetically  according  to  the  adjective. 

Directory  arrangement  is  applied  in  filing  to  names  of  persons, 
firms,  corporations,  or  institutions.  It  means  placing  the  surname 
first,  then  the  given  name,  and  then  the  rest  of  the  name,  and  it 


70  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

is   the   arrangement   that  must  be  observed  in  filing  letters  or 
making  out  cards. 

For  example  :     Adams,  Hem*y 

Brown,  William  Knight 

When  firm  or  corporation  names  begin  with  "The," 
the  article  follows  in  parentheses  and  is  not  con- 
sidered in  alphabetizing. 
For  example  :     Brown  Construction  Co.  (The) 

When    firms  are  incorporated    and    use   the    letters 
"Inc.,"  the  letters  follow  in  parentheses  and  are  not 
considered  in  alphabetizing. 
For  example  :   Grace-Dellano  Co.  (Inc.) 

The  sign  "&"  is  not  usually  considered  in  alphabetiz- 
ing, but  it  is  indicated  on  the  card  just  as  it  occurs 
in  the  name. 
For  example  :     Brown  &  Bros. 
Brown  &  Co. 

Here  is  a  list  of  names  grouped  as  they  ought  to  be  arranged  : 

Carson  Bros.,  Chicago 

Carson  Bros.,  New  York 

Carson  Building  &  Construction  Co.  (The) 

Carson,  Carson  &  Co. 

Carson,  Francis  L. 

Carson,  James  L.  (Inc.) 

Carson  &  Thompkins  Co. 

Carson  &  Watson 

Carson,  WilUam  K. 

Where  two  or  more  names  are  identical,  the  addresses  must  be 
the  determining  factors.  William  Carson  of  Chicago  will  precede 
William  Carson  of  Detroit. 

For  example  :     Carson,  WilUam  Chicago 

Carson,  William  Detroit 

Carson,  William  New  York  City 

Carson,  William  San  Francisco 

Names  beginning  with  Mc  or  Mac  usually  precede  all  other 
names  beginning  with  M. 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  71 

Addressing  Letters  or  Envelopes  from  Cards.  —  In  doing  this 
work,  the  firm  name  should  be  rearranged  in  proper  form  for  the 
envelope.     Inexperienced  clerks  often  err  here. 

For  example : 
Cards  Envelopes 

Brown  Bros.  Messrs.  Brown  Bros. 

Brown  Building  Co.  (The)  The  Brown  Building  Co. 

Cross,  Mark,  Inc.  Mark  Cross,  Inc. 

Dawson  &  Co.,  J.  L.  &  D.  W.  Messrs.  J.  L.  &  D.  W.  Dawson  &  Co. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

What  do  you  understand  by  the  dictionary  arrangement  of  words? 

What  do  you  understand  by  the  directory  arrangement  of  names? 

Using  your  local  telephone  directory,  select  the  first  five  names  under 
each  letter  of  the  alphabet  from  A  to  E  inclusive,  and  arrange  them  in 
the  form  in  which  they  would  appear  in  the  address  of  a  letter. 

Using  a  trade  paper  or  a  technical  magazine,  select  the  names  and 
addresses  of  twenty-five  advertisers,  make  out  cards  in  directory  form, 
and  arrange  them  alphabetically. 

Write  a  short  composition  on  the  importance  of  a  good  filing  system 
for  any  business  house. 

SECTION   2 

CORRESPONDENCE   FILING  — FLAT   SYSTEMS 

Considered  from  the  mechanical  standpoint,  there  are  two 
systems  of  filing  —  the  flat  and  the  vertical.  A  flat  filing  system 
is  any  system  where  papers  are  filed  flat  in  a  box  or  drawer.  A 
vertical  system  is  any  system  where  papers  are  filed  standing  on 
edge. 

Considered  from  the  indexing  standpoint,  there  are  four  systems 
of  filing — alphabetic,  numeric,  geographic,  and  subject  or  topical. 
Any  one  of  these  systems  of  indexing  may  be  applied  to  the  flat 
or  the  vertical  system  of  filing. 

Spindle 
The  simplest  form  of  flat  file  in  use  to-day  is  the  wire  spindle. 
Papers  are  pressed  down  on  the  sharp  point  of  the  spindle,  which 


72 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


pierces  them  and  holds  the  contents  of  the  file  intact.  This  method 
is  obsolete  for  business  purposes  to-day,  but  is  still  used  for  odd 
papers  by  the  housekeeper  and  the  small  storekeeper. 

Box  File 

The  box  file  is  another  form  of  flat  file.  /  It  is  made  of  heavy- 
cardboard,  opens  like  a  book  and  is  about  9  x  11  inches  in  diameter 

and  4  to  5  inches  thick. 
It  contains  a  number 
of  manila  leaves,  with 
tabs  bearing  the  form 
of  index  required.  This 
is  usually  a  simple  A-Z 
index.  The  leaves  are 
fastened  to  the  inside 
of  the  box.  Papers  to 
be  filed  are  slipped  in 
between  these  leaves.  I 
Some  box  files  are  so 
equipped  that  letters 
must  be  placed  on  top 
of  the  index  leaf,  while 
in  others  the  letters  are 
placed  under  the  index 
leaf.  Clerks  should 
examine  files  carefully 
to  determine  which 
plan  is  to  be  followed. 
The  advantage  of  this  form  of  file  is  that  it  is  cheap.  Its  dis- 
advantages are,  that  letters  from  one  concern  are  scattered  through 
a  number  of  boxes,  letters  fall  out  easily  when  a  box  is  tipped  over, 
the  boxes  are  usually  arranged  on  inaccessible  shelves,  and  they 
gather  dust  and  are  unsanitary.  The  box  file  is  antiquated  and 
is  seldom  used  for  filing  the  entire  correspondence  of  an  office.  It 
is  occasionally  used  by  professional  men  whose  correspondence  is 


Courtesy  of  Vawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Box  File 


OFFICE   RECORDS  — FILING 


73 


quite  limited,  and  it  is  also  used  at  times  in  business  houses  for 
the  temporary  sorting  of  important  papers. 


Flat  or  Loose  Sheet  Drawer 

This  is  a  wooden  drawer,  which  fits  into  a  neat  cabinet  of 
similar  drawers.  These  cabinets  are  made  in  such  form  that  new 
stacks  of  drawers  can  be  added  from  time  to  time,  thus  building 
up  larger  cabinets  as  they  are  needed.  The  flat  drawer  is  indexed 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  box  file,  but  the  subdivision  of  the 
alphabet  is  usually  greater,  each  drawer  being  assigned  a  part 
of  the  alphabet.  There  is  a  strong  clamp  fastened  at  the  side  of 
the  drawer  to  hold  the  letters  firml}-  in  place.  Papers  are  filed 
under  their  proper  alphabetic  division,  according  to  date. 

Its  advantages  over  the  box  file  are  that  the  drawers  can  be 
kept  in  a  wooden  cabinet,  that  it  does  not  collect  dust,  and  that 
it  is  more  durable.  Its  dis- 
advantages are  that  letters  from 
one  correspondent  are  sepa- 
rated by  letters  from  other 
correspondents  in  the  same 
alphabetical  division,  and  that 
it  does  not  provide  natural  ex- 
pansion ;  that  is,  when  the  vol- 
ume of  correspondence  grows, 
the  old  indexing  equipment 
must  be  discarded. 

This  form  of  file  is  used  mostly  where  correspondence  comes 
from  a  large  number  of  different  sources,  and  where  there  are  apt 
to  be  but  one  or  two  letters-from  any  one  source.  A  mail  order 
house  selling  cheap  novelties  might  find  this  an  economical  method 
of  filing,  as  correspondence  could  be  destroyed  every  few  months. 
This  method  of  filing  is  also  used  by  architects  and  builders,  as 
it  affords  a  convenient  means  of  keeping  in  one  drawer  all  corre- 
spondence and  estimates  relating  to  any  special  piece  of  work. 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Flat  or  Loose  Sheet  Drawer 


74 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Shannon  File 


Shannon  File 

The  Shannon  file,  named  after^he  man  who  invented  it,  is  the 
most  popular  form  of  flat  filing. /^  It  consists  of  a  board  on  which 

is  mounted  a  double 
arch.  These  arches 
are  opened  and  the 
papers  to  be  filed  are 
perforated  and  slipped 
over  the  spindles.  The 
file^  may  be  obtained 
ready  to  hang  on  the 
wall  for  easy  reference, 
or  in  the  form  of  a 
drawer  to-i^e  placed  in 
a  cabinet^  as  are  the 
loose  sheet  drawers. 
To  insure  the  proper  perforation  of  papers,  a  perforating  machine 
is  usually  purchased  with,  the  Shannon  file. 

The  file  is  indexed  by  means  of  sheets  of  different  lengths,  printed 
with  any  form  of  index  required,  and  perforated  to  fit  over  the 
arches.  To  file  a  letter,  for  example,  from  the  Johnson  Manu- 
facturing Co. : 

1  Perforate  paper  with  machine,  punching  holes  so  far  to  left 
that  edge  of  letter,  when  placed  on  arch,  will  not  cover  index  tabs 

2  Raise  all  index  sheets  above  J  and  push  back  over  arches 

3  Open  arches 

4  Place  letter  on  spindles 

5  Close  arches 

6  Bring  down  index  sheets  to  position. 

The  great  advantage  of  this  file  is,  that  papers  cannot  be  lost 
unless  they  are  removed  ;  and  they  are  not  apt  to  be  removed  be- 
cause it  is  inconvenient  to  do  this,  and  because  the  file  is  so  small 
and  light  that  it  can  be  carried  about  from  place  to  place.  The 
disadvantage  is,  that  it  takes  time  to  place  letters  on  the  file.  It 
would  not  serve  for  a  great  mass  of  correspondence,  but  it  is  most 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


75 


useful  where  papers  are  handled  frequently  and  are  exposed  to  the 
danger  of  being  lost.  Nothing  has  been  invented  that  will  sup- 
plant the  Shannon  file  for  certain  purposes.  It  is  used  in  many 
houses  for  keeping  track  of  orders  that  take  time  to  fill.     Orders 


Hkl 

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Sir 

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u 

— :- 

^^^HH 

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ta 

Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Shannon  Indexes 

of  this  type  are  usually  numbered  in  sequence.  The  file  is  hung 
near  the  desk  of  the  clerk  in  charge  of  shipping  orders.  When  it 
is  necessary  to  telephone  in  regard  to  them,  the  file  may  be  placed 
on  the  desk  near  the  telephone  and  the  matters  attended  to  with- 
out removing  a  paper. 

Transferring 

The  correspondence  of  the  average  business  house  is  kept  on 
file  five  to  ten  years.  Insurance  policies,  real  estate  records,  legal 
documents,  and  papers  of  this  character  are  rarely  destroyed. 

As  a  general  rule,  however,  correspondence  more  than  a  year 


76 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


old  is  not  referred  to  frequently.  It  would  be  poor  policy  to  retain 
this  dead  correspondence  in  live  files.  It  is,  therefore,  transferred 
to  cheaper  equipment,  or  to  shelves  or  vaults  occupying  less 
valuable  space. 


'^ 

^ 

^  J 

w 

/^^^ 

f 

/ 

Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Transferring  Shannon  Correspondence 

As  hox  files  are  inexpensive,  they  are  usually  transferred  intact 
to  transfer  shelves  and  new  boxes  purchased  for  current  use. 

With  the  flat  or  loose  sheet  drawer,  equipment  is  obtained  to 
handle  this  miscellaneous  correspondence  as  long  as  it  is  required, 
and  the  correspondence  is  then  destroyed. 

The  contents  of  a  Shannon  file  are  transferred  to  a  Shannon 
transfer  case.  This  is  made  in  two  sections  —  a  cardboard  box 
equipped  with  an  arch,  and  a  sliding  cover.  A  little  U-shaped 
wire  device  is  purchased  with  the  transfer  case.     To  transfer : 

1  Open  arch  of  file 

2  Slip  U-shape  wire  over  spindles 

3  Lift  correspondence  over  arch  by  means  of  wire 

4  Transfer  contents,  including  index,  to  transfer  case  arch 

5  Lift  wire 

6  Close  transfer  case  arch 

7  Cover  transfer  case 

8  Label  cover  to  show  nature  of  correspondence  and  dates. 


OFFICE    RECORDS  — FILING 


77 


SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

What  is  meant  by  a  loose  sheet  drawer  ? 

Give  an  instance,  not  mentioned  in  the  text,  in  which  the  use  of  a  loose 
sheet  drawer  might  be  an  advantage. 

During  a  school  term,  your  teacher  receives  a  great  many  circulars 
from  the  school  office.  Suggest  a  system  of  filing  that  will  take  care  of 
these  papers. 

What  is  the  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Shannon  file  compared  with 
other  systems  of  flat  fihng  ? 


SECTION   3 
CORRESPONDENCE    FILING  — VERTICAL   SYSTEMS 

A  vertical  system  is  any  system  where  papers  are  filed  standing 

on  edge. 

Equipment 

The  equipment  for  any  vertical  filing  system  consists  of : 

Cabinets  of  large  wooden  or  metal  drawers,  made  in  legal,  letter, 
or  invoice  size. 

Guides  of  manila  or  pressboard,  made  to  fit  drawers,  and  with 
projecting  tabs  at  their  upper  edges.     These  tabs  bear  the  index. 


PLAIN  FOLDER 

AMBERG  FILE  a  IMDEX  CO. 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  1  ilc  &  Index  Company 
Vertical  Guides 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Folder 


Folders  of  heavy  manila  paper,  in  which  correspondence  is 
placed. 


78 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


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Follower  Block 


Follower  blocks,  movable 
blocks  of  wood  clamped 
into  position  in  each 
drawer,  for  the  purpose  of 
keeping  guides  and  folders 
upright. 

Alphabetic  Filing 
Indexing.  —  The  simplest 
form  of  alphabetic  index  is  a 
set  of  twenty-six  guides,  one 
for  each  letter  of  the  alphabet. 
As  this  is  inadequate  for  any 
but  a  very  small  business,  in- 
dexes can  be  obtained  in  sets 
ranging  from  twenty-six  up  to 
sevent3'-two  hundred  subdivi- 
sions of  the  alphabet. 
In  the  earlj^  days  of  fihng,  alphabetic  subdivisions  were  made  in 
haphazard  fashion. 
Certain  letters,  like 
M  and  S,  were 
given  more  space 
than  others,  but 
there  was  nothing- 
very  definite  as  a 
basis  for  this  allot- 
ment of  space.  It 
was  then  discov- 
ered that  names 
like  Jones,  Brown, 
Smith,  United, 
General,  and  Inter- 
national    occurred 

so  frequently  as   to  courtesy  of  Vawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 

cause  a  very  uneven  Small  Alphabetic  Index 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


79 


distribution  of  the  contents  of  the  average  file.  This  was  a 
serious  disadvantage,  as  it  was  impossible  to  locate  quickly  the 
correspondence  of  houses  whose  names  were  similar. 

To   remedy  this,  experts   planned   out   scientific  subdivisions, 
based  on  lists  of  individuals,  firms,  and  corporations  doing  business 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Average  Alphabetic  Index 

in  the  United  States.  They  figured  out  how  many  times  names 
beginning  with  Aa,  Aba,  etc.,  occurred  throughout  the  list,  and 
how  often  Smith,  Jones,  Union,  National,  etc.,  were  likely  to 
occur  in  a  correspondence  averaging  1000,  3000,  or  5000  writers. 
They  made  proper  subdivisions  to  suit  these  needs,  giving  special 
guides  for  Smith  "  A-B,"  Smith  "  C-D,"  etc.     These  methods 


80 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


provide  for  the  even  distribution  of  correspondence  that  was 
lacking  in  the  older  methods. 

In  the  illustration,  notice  the  star  after  the  AB  on  the  first 
guide.     This  star  means  "  except."     The  name  Abbott  appears  on 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  and  Index  Company 

Large  Alphabetic  Index 


the  next  guide.  Therefore,  everything  beginning  with  Aa  or  Ab  is 
to  be  filed  behind  the  AB  guide,  except  Abbott,  which  is  to  be 
filed  behind  the  next  guide. 

Filing.  —  Where  the  correspondence  is  very  small,  letters  may 
be  filed  directly  hack  of  the  guides  in  strict  alphabetical  order. 

For  the  average  corre- 
spondence, a  folder,  with  a 
label  corresponding  to  that 
on  the  guide,  and  known  as 
a  miscellaneous  folder,  is 
placed  back  of  each  guide. 
In  this  folder  are  filed  mis- 
cellaneous letters  beginning 
with  that  particular  divi- 
sion or  subdivision  of  the 
alphabet.  When  four  or 
five  letters  have  been  re- 
ceived from  one  correspond- 
ent, they  are  removed  and 
placed  in  what  is  known  as 
an  individual  folder.  This  bears  his  name,  address,  and  the  year, 
and  is  filed  back  of  the  miscellaneous  folder.     As  the  general  corre- 


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Individual  Folders 


OFFICE    RECORDS  —  FILING 


81 


spondence  grows,  so  will  the  individual  folders.  The  illustration 
shows  a  method  of  tabbing  individual  folders  that  will  permit  two 
to  be  seen  at  a  glance,  thus  saving  both  time  and  labor  in  turning 
over  folders. 

When  the  correspondence  becomes  too  large  to  fit  into  one 
special  folder,  dated  folders  are  made  out  as  follows  : 


1917 
1917 


January-M  arch 
April-June 


Somers  &  Co. 
Somers  &  Co. 


It  sometimes  happens  that  the  correspondence  of  a  firm  is  so 
large  as  to  warrant  the  use  of  two  folders  per  month.     In  this 


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Index  Showing  "Leader"  Guides 


case  special  sub-guides  may  be  obtained,  slightly  lower  in  height 
than  the  regular  guides,  and  labeled  with  the  names  of  the  months. 


82  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

When  correspondence  becomes  so  heavy  as  to  require  several 
folders  per  month,  it  is  advisable  to  insert  extra  guides  to  furnish 
the  necessary  support. 

The  illustration  shows  a  method  of  locating  immediately  corre- 
spondence that  must  be  referred  to  often.  The  regular  guides  are 
tabbed  at  one  side  of  the  drawer,  leaving  the  other  side  free  to 
contain  the  leader  guides,  as  they  are  called.  These  show  the 
names  of  correspondents  whose  folders  are  consulted  daily,  and 
they  are  arranged  in  alphabetic  order  behind  their  proper  sub- 
divisions. 

The  Filing  Name.  —  Letters  should  be  filed  under  the  name  of 
the  house  from  which  they  are  received,  and  not  under  the  names 
of  individuals  connected  with  it.  If  the  business  is  with  the 
individual  and  not  with  the  house,  the  case  is  different. 

All  letters  are  filed  under  the  surname  of  the  writer,  in  the  case 
of  individuals  or  firms,  and  under  the  first  word  in  the  name  of 
a  company,  excluding  "  The."  In  certain  firm  names,  for  ex- 
ample, Marshall  Field  &  Co.,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  which  is  the 
surname  or  correct  "  filing  "  name.  In  such  cases,  consult  a  tele- 
phone or  a  business  directory.  Notice  the  filing  name  in  the 
following  examples : 

Title  Filing  Name 

Marshall  Field  &  Co.  Field,  Marshall  &  Co. 

Thomas  Moulding  Co.  Thomas  Moulding  Co. 

Jordan,  Marsh  &  Co.  Jordan,  Marsh  &  Co. 

Montgomery  Ward  &  Co.  Ward,  Montgomery  &  Co. 

Sorting  Box  or  Distributor.  —  A  sorting  box  is  used  where 
quantities  of  mail  are  handled.  It  contains  guides  so  arranged 
as  to  gather  the  material  for  each  drawer.  All  the  mail  for  one 
drawer  can  then  be  filed,  the  drawer  closed,  and  the  operation  re- 
peated for  each  succeeding  drawer.  The  sorting  box  is  a  great 
time  and  labor  saver. 

"  Out  ''-guide.  —  The  guide  illustrated  here  is  an  invention  for 
the  safeguarding  of  correspondence.     When  a  folder  is  removed 


OFFICE    RECORDS   -  FILING 


83 


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Sorting  Box  or  Distributor 


from     the     file,     this 

guide,    properly  filled   ^y^, 

out,  is  put  in  its  place 

to  indicate  where  the 

correspondence     may 

be  found. 

Advantages.   —  Be- 
cause of  its  simplicity 

and     directness,     the 

alphabetic   system  of 

filing  has  so  much  to 

commend   it    for    the 

average  business,  that 

it   should    always    be 

considered  before  more  intricate  systems  are  thought  of. 
Disadvantages.  —  The   disadvantages    charged   against    it    are 

that  it  does  not  provide  for  even  distribution  of  correspond- 
ence; that  the  filing 
clerk  is  apt  to  make 
mistakes  in  deciding 
the  proper  guide  for 
each  letter,  and  that  it 
is  impossible  to  expand 
the  system  to  meet  the 
growth  of  the  business 
without  discarding  the 
guides  and  purchasing 
new  ones.  The  scien- 
tific method  of  index- 
ing will  obviate  the 
first  objection. 

Helpful   Suggestions. 
—  Letters    should    be 

filed  with  the  top  of  the  letter-head  or  sheet  toward  the  left,  so 

as  to  make  reference  easy. 


^Qijg 

i 

,..,,., 

"^ 

.,...,.„........, 

... 

......................  ...\ 

/M.^/- 

.«  iB  A..^ 

* 

€ipr 

rr 

M^  fi^. 

a^xr'f 

y...^'^.  A. 

/'& 

:&^cP 

'9,.r/ 

^^.^<p 

pc 

Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Out  Guide 


84 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


Letters  should  not  protrude  from  the  ends  of  folders,  as  this 
gives  an  untidy  appearance  to  the  cabinet  and  valuable  papers 
may  be  torn. 

All  letters  to  and  from  a  correspondent  should  be  filed  in  his 
folder  according  to  date,  the  latest  letter  being  toward  the  front 
of  the  folder.  In  some  houses,  carbon  copies  of  the  answers  are 
pinned  or  pasted  to  the  letters  filed. 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Write  a  paragraph  describing  vertical  alphabetical  filing. 
Write  a  short  paragraph  stating  what,  in  your  opinion,  constitutes  a 
good  index. 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Numbered  Guides 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


85 


Define  the  following :  miscellaneous  folder,  special  folder,  dated 
folder,  and  sorting  box. 

You  are  employed  in  a  mail  order  house  which  has  a  large  but  scat- 
tered correspondence,  none  of  which  has  any  value  after  three  months. 
The  space  that  can  be  devoted  to  filing  equipment  is  small.  Your  em- 
ployer has  asked  you  to  look  into  the  question  of  a  suitable  filing  system. 
Submit  a  written  report  covering  the  investigation  you  have  made,  the 
system  you  have  decided  to  install,  and  the  equipment  needed. 

Numeric  Filing 

Indexing.  ■ —  The  same  type  of  guide  is  used  in  numeric  filing 
that  is  used  in  alphabetic  filing,' but  the  indexing  is  a  simpler  matter, 
the  guides  being  numbered  usually  in  lO's  or  20's  as  desired. 


"l\       581  \      "''"I,    J'f^'l. 


iii 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Numbered  Folders 


Filing.  —  In  filing  by  this  method,    the  following   steps  must 

be  taken : 

For  a  New  Correspondent 

Card 

1  Each  new  correspondent  is  assigned  a  number  in  regular  sequence. 

For   instance,   if    the  last  correspondent  was   assigned   209,  the 
next  will  be  210 

2  His  name,  address,  and  number  are  written  on  a  card 

3  His  card  is  filed  alphabetically  in  a  card  index  drawer 


86 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Folder 

4  His  correspondence  is  numbered  and  placed  in  a  numbered  folder 

5  The  folder  is  filed  numerically  behind  the  proper  guide 

For  an  Old  Correspondent 
Card 

1  The  card  index  is  consulted  to  find  his  number 

2  This  number  is  placed  on  his  correspondence 

Folder 

3  His  correspondence  is  filed  numerically  in  its  proper  folder. 

Where   the   correspondence   of   a   firm   increases    beyond   the 
capacity  of  one  folder,  additional  ones  are  made  out  as  needed. 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Cards  fqr  Numeric  Filing 

These  bear  the  dates  covered  by  the  letters  and  papers  contained 
in  them. 

Advantages.  —  It  is  claimed  for  this  system  that  all  letters  on 
one  subject,  although  received  from  a  number  of  sources,  can  be 
brought  together  into  one  folder,  under  one  number,  and  that  the 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


87 


card  index  furnishes  the  means  for  cross-reference.  This  is  an 
undoubted  advantage  where  the  correspondence  is  intricate  in 
its  nature. 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Cross-reference  Cards 

Another  advantage  claimed  for  it  is,  that  it  reduces  to  a  mini- 
mum the  chance  of  misfihng,  as  any  error  in  the  sequence  of 
numbers  will  strike  the  eye  at  once. 

A  third  advantage  is  its  capacity  for  natural  expansion.  As 
the  business  grows,  new  equipment  can  be  added  indefinitely 
without  discarding  or  changing  the  old. 


88 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


Disadvantages.  —  One  great  disadvantage  of  this  system  is  that 
it  requires  considerable  time  and  labor  to  file  letters,  because  of 
the  necessity  for  making  out  or  consulting  cards. 

Another  disadvantage  is,  that  the  occasional  correspondent 
must  be  assigned  a  folder,  creating  unnecessary  expense  where 
the  number  of  such  correspondents  is  large.     To  obviate  this  dif- 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Combination  Alphabetic  and  Numeric  System 

ficulty,  some  houses  keep  new  correspondents  in  an  alphabetic 
drawer  until  the  number  of  letters  received  from  these  warrants 
assigning  them  a  number.  However,  this  provides  two  possible 
places  where  a  letter  may  be  found,  and  is  not  the  best  filing 
practice. 

The  greatest  disadvantage,  however,  is  that  letters  are  not 


OFFICE    RECORDS  —  FILING  89 

located  readily,  owing  to  the  double  operation  of  consulting  the 
card  index  and  the  file. 

Spealdng  generally,  numeric  filing  is  not  used  for  correspondence 
which  admits  of  a  straight  alphabetic  system.  But  in  almost 
every  office,  there  is  some  need  of  a"  numeric  method  for 
keeping  certain  records  —  copies  of  orders  issued  by  the  house, 
etc.     The  requirements  of  the  business  must  determine  the  usage. 

Variations.  —  To  combine  the  safe  filing  of  folders,  as  in  the 
numeric  system,  with  rapid  finding,  as  in  the  alphabetic,  a  com- 
bination of  the  two  has  been  placed  on  the  market.  Each  guide 
bears  a  subdivision  of  the  alphabet  and  a  number.  All  folders 
beginning  with  A  are  numbered  1,  those  beginning  with  Ba-Be 
are  numbered  2,  and  so  on.  Folders  are  found  alphabetically  — 
the  quickest  way.    They  are  replaced  numerically — the  safest  way. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Contrast  alphabetic  and  numeric  filing  as  to  simplicity,  ease  of  filing, 
safety,  and  expense. 

You  are  filing  clerk  in  an  office  using  a  numeric  filing  system.  The 
office  has  10,000  correspondents  (i.e.,  10,000  folders)  and  the  necessary 
equipment  for  taking  care  of  them.  Ten  of  these  correspondents  are 
verj'  large  customers  who  send  in  hundreds  of  numbered  orders  each  j-ear. 
There  are  about  1000  papers  to  be  filed  each  day.  You  have  been  told 
that  you  maj^  order  any  equipment  needed  to  assist  you  in  the  work 
or  to  improve  the  system.  Lay  out  a  complete  plan  of  work,  showing 
how  you  would  arrange  your  materials  so  that  these  papers  may  be 
filed  in  the  most  efficient  way  and  at  the  least  expense. 

Describe  in  detail  a  numeric  filing  system. 

IMake  out  a  list  of  the  equipment  needed  for  a  numeric  fiUng  system 
that  will  provide  for  5000  correspondents,  200  folders  to  a  drawer. 

Geographic  Filing 
Indexing.  —  There  are  in  general  use  three  methods  of  index- 
ing for  geographic  filing : 

State  and  Alphabetic 

1  Guide  for  each  state 

2  Set  of  alphabetic  guides  for  each  state 

3  Miscellaneous  folder  for  each  guide. 


90 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


State  and  Town 

1  Guide  for  each  state 

2  Set  of  town  guides  for  each  state 

3  Miscellaneous  folder  for  each  town 

Straight  Town 

1  Set  of  alphabetic  guides 

2  Miscellaneous  folder  for  each  guide 

3  Special  folders  for  large  towns 

Filing.  —  In  the  state  and  alphabetic  system,  the  correspondence 
is  sorted  according  to  states,  then  according  to  the  name  of 
the  writer,  alphabetically.  The  letters  are  filed  in  the  miscel- 
laneous folders. 


OREGON 


Courtesy  of  Am  berg  File  &  Index  Company 
State  and  Alphabetic  Index 

In  the  state  and  town  system,  the  correspondence  is  sorted  ac- 
cording to  states,  and  then  according  to  towns.  All  letters  from 
any  one  town  are  filed  in  the  miscellaneous  folder  for  that  town. 
The  letters  in  each  folder  are  arranged  alphabetically  by  the  name 
of  the  writer.  When  the  correspondence  of  a  writer  grows  too 
heavy  to  be  contained  in  the  town  folder,  a  special  folder  is  made 
out  for  him,  and  is  filed  behind  the  miscellaneous  folder. 

In  the  straight  town  system,  the  correspondence  is  sorted  ac- 
cording to  towns,  without  reference  to  states.     Correspondence 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


91 


from  all  towns  beginning  with  a  certain  subdivision  of  the  alphabet 
is  placed  in  the  miscellaneous  folder  back  of  that  subdivision, 
and  is  arranged  alphabetically  in  the  folder  according  to  towns. 
When  the  correspondence  of  any  town  becomes  heavy  enough  to 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
State  and  Town  Index 


warrant  it,  a  special  folder  is  made  out.  All  letters  in  the  special 
town  folders  are  filed  alphabetically  according  to  the  name  of  the 
correspondent. 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Straight  Town  Index 


Advantages.  —  The  geographic  system  is  used  largely  for 
order  filing  and  for  correspondence  with  branch  houses.  It  some- 
times serves  to  indicate  those  sections  of  the  country  where 
business  is  flourishing  or  where  it  needs  building  up. 


92  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

Again,  where  the  correspondents  are  newspapers  or  banks,  or 
any  other  activity  in  which  the  same  name  occurs  frequently,  as 
The  Herald  of  New  York  City,  The  Herald  of  Kansas  City,  The 
Herald  of  Minneapolis,  The  Second  National  Bank  of  New  York 
City,  The  Second  National  Bank  of  San  Francisco,  this  system 
furnishes  an  even  distribution  of  correspondence  that  would 
be  impossible  with  a  simple  alphabetic  system.  In  the  latter 
case,  all  the  Heralds  would  be  placed  behind  one  guide,  all  the 
Second  National  Banks  behind  another,  while  many  guides  would 
not  have  any  folders. 

This  system  also  has  the  advantage  of  natural  expansion. 
Special  guides  and  folders  may  be  added  for  the  increasing  corre- 
spondence of  any  section  without  disturbing  the  original  equip- 
ment. 

Disadvantages.  —  Its  disadvantages  are  that  it  is  necessary 
to  know  not  only  the  name  of  the  writer,  but  his  town,  and  some- 
times his  state,  in  order  to  find  his  correspondence ;  that  mail 
must  be  sorted  two  or  three  times  before  it  can  be  filed ;  and 
that  there  are  more  opportunities  for  making  mistakes  in  filing 
than  with  either  the  alphabetic  or  numeric  system. 


SUGGESTIVE    EXERCISES 

Of  the  three  systems  of  vertical  filing  you  have  studied,  which  is  the 
safest  ? 

In  which  system  are  mistakes  most  Hkely  to  be  made  ? 

You  have  been  asked  to  order  supphes  for  a  straight  town  system  of 
fiUng  in  which  fifty  special  town  guides  are  to  be  used.  Make  out  an 
order  on  a  local  stationer  for  the  necessary  equipment,  asking  him  to  send 
you  fifty  gummed  pasters  bearing  the  names  of  the  fifty  largest  cities 
in  the  United  States. 

Mention  ten  of  the  cities  you  think  might  appear  on  these  gummed 
pasters. 

Mention  three  points  which  may  decide  the  value  of  a  fihng  system  for 
any  special  business. 

How  may  a  geographic  system  of  filing  indicate  that  a  business  is  flour- 
ishing or  that  it  needs  to  be  built  up  ? 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  93 

Subject  Filing 

Alphabetic.  —  In  the  simplest  form  of  subject  filing,  a  guide 
is  made  out  for  each  subject.  Back  of  each  guide  is  a  mis- 
cellaneous folder  in  which  all  correspondence  relating  to  that 
subject  is  placed.  When  the  volume  of  correspondence  on  any 
one  subject  increases  beyond  the  capacity  of  one  folder,  dated 
folders  are  made  out,  or  individual  folders  are  used  for  the 
different  correspondents.  The  indexing  may  be  still  further 
expanded  by  using  sets  of  alphabetic  guides  behind  each  sub- 
ject guide. 

This  system  is  often  used  by  architects  and  builders.  A  guide 
is  made  out  for  each  contract  and  all  correspondence  relating  to 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Architect's  Subject  File 

it  is  filed  behind  the  guide,  no  matter  from  what  source  it  comes. 
It  is  also  used  by  purchasing  agents  in  filing  quotations  on  the 
different  materials  they  buy.  In  this  case,  it  furnishes  an  easy 
means  of  comparing  prices  and  terms  made  by  different  houses 
on  the  same  material. 

Numeric.  —  There  are  two  methods  of  filing  numerically  by 
subject  —  the  simple  numeric  system  and  the  decimal  system. 

In  the  sim.'ple  numeric  system,  each  important  subject  is  given 
a  number.  These  subjects  are  divided  where  necessary  into  sub- 
subjects  and  again  into  sub-sub-subjects.     The  sub-subjects  bear 


94 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


the  number  of  the  main  subject  and  an  extra  figure  or  letter. 
A  contractor  may  number  his  subjects  as  follows : 

3         Office  Buildings 
3-1         Masonry 

3-la         Face  Brick 

3-16         Common  Brick 
3-2         Ironwork 

3-2a         Frames 

3-26         Ornamental  Work 
3-3         Heating 

3-3a         Radiators 

3-36         Piping 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Numeric  Subject  Filing 


From  the  above,  it  will  be  seen  that  new  subjects  may  be  added 
indefinitely. 

The  decimal  system  is  based  en  the  Dewey  decimal  system 
used  in  libraries.  All  subjects  likely  to  occur  in  correspondence 
are  grouped  into  ten  classes.  Each  class  is  given  a  number  from 
000  to  900.  Each  of  these  classes  may  again  be  subdivided  into 
nine  or  less  subdivisions,  and  each   of   these   subdivisions   may 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  95 

again  be  broken  up  into  nine  divisions.     The  following  table  will 
show  the  method  of  classifying  subjects  : 


000 

General 

100 

Executive  Administration 

200 

Finance  and  Accounts 

210         Accounts 

215         Exchange  Accounts 

215.1           Subscribers'  Accounts 

215.11         Accounts  in  Suspense 

300 

Construction 

400 

Equipment 

500 

Operation 

600 

Rates 

A  card  index  is  used  in  connection  with  either  of  these  numeric 
systems.  One  card  is  made  out  for  each  subject  and  each  sub- 
subject,  showing  the  number  assigned  to  it.  Wherever  there  is 
likelihood  of  the  subjects  being  referred  to  by  more  than  one 
name,  a  card  is  made  out  for  each  name.  If  letters  are  called  for 
by  name,  as  well  as  by  subject,  a  card  is  made  out  for  each  writer, 
showing  the  number  under  which  his  correspondence  may  be  found. 

Numbered  guides  are  used  as  an  index  in  either  of  the  numeric 
systems.  The  guides  sometimes  bear  the  name,  as  well  as  the 
number,  of  the  subject. 

The  method  of  filing  is  to  assign  a  folder  for  each  subject  or 
sub-subject.  Where  the  volume  of  correspondence  on  any  one 
subject  is  large,  the  system  may  be  expanded  by  extra  folders  for 
the  subject,  or  special  folders  for  heavy  correspondence. 

Advantages.  —  Numeric  subject  filing  is  too  intricate  for  the 
average  business  office.  In  certain  large  organizations,  where  all 
the  correspondence  bearing  on  a  subject  must  be  kept  in  one 
definite  place,  it  is  the  only  solution  of  the  problem.  Here  the 
systems  are  installed  by  experts  in  classification,  and  they  are 
operated  by  librarians  or  clerks  who  have  had  special  training  in 
filing. 

Disadvantages.  —  The  great  disadvantages  of  this  system  are 
the  possibilities   it   offers  for    errors  in  filing,  and   its   lack   of 


96  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

uniformity,  caused  by  the  tendency  of  different  people  to  refer 
to  the  same  subject  by  different  names.  A  novice  should  never 
attempt  to  install  such  a  system. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

What  do  you  understand  by  a  decimal  system  of  indexing  ? 

You  are  filing  clerk  in  the  office  of  the  C.  V.  &  L.  Railroad.  An 
accident  has  occurred  at  Goshen,  N.  Y.  James  L.  Waters,  Thomas  F. 
Smith,  and  Charlotte  Wadsworth  have  been  injured,  and  they  have 
put  in  claims  for  damages.  The  correspondence  includes  letters  from 
the  injured  people,  certificates  from  their  physicians,  letters  from  their 
attorneys,  and  copies  of  letters  from  the  attorneys  for  the  railroad 
company.  The  company  uses  a  subject  file  with  a  simple  numeric 
system  of  indexing.  "Accidents"  is  a  main  subject.  Explain  one  way 
in  which  these  cases  might  be  filed. 

Follow-up  Filing 

When  a  man  writes  to  a  business  house  for  information  in  re- 
gard to  something  it  sells,  the  house  does  not  consider  the  matter 
closed  with  the  mailing  of  the  information  requested.  If  it  does 
not  hear  from  the  correspondent  within  a  reasonable  time,  it  will 
write  to  him  again.  If  it  does  not  receive  a  reply  to  its  second 
letter,  it  will  still  continue  to  follow-up  the  correspondent  until  an 
order  is  obtained  or  it  is  decided  that  it  is  useless  to  continue  the 
correspondence.  Any  system  of  filing  that  automatically  calls 
such  matters  to  attention  on  a  given  date  is  called  a  follow-up 
system.  Many  houses  use  a  special  drawer  in  their  filing  cabinet 
for  correspondence  that  is  to  be  filed  in  this  way. 

Indexing.  —  The  indexing  equipment  consists  of  the  following, 
which  is  arranged  in  the  form  given : 

Set  of  alphabetic  guides 

Guide  for  the  current  month 

Set  of  daily  guides 

Set  of  guides  for  the  other  months 

Filing.  —  The  original  letter  and  the  copy  of  the  answer  are 
marked  with  the  date  on  which  it  is  desired  to  follow-up  the  matter. 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


97 


The  original  letter  is  then  filed  alphabetically  in  the  regular  filing 
cabinet.  The  copy  of  the  answer  is  filed  back  of  the  follow-wp  date 
in  the  follow-up  drawer.  If  it  is  not  to  be  followed  up  during  the 
current  month,  it  is  placed  back  of  the  proper  monthly  guide. 
If  several  follow-up  letters  are  written,  only  the  last  carbon  copy 
is  filed  by  date.  The  others  are  placed  with  the  original  letter  as 
soon  as  they  are  followed  up. 

Every  morning  the  correspondence  back  of  the  daily  guide 
receives  the  attention  of  the  follow-up  clerk.     On  the  first  of 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Follow-up  Drawer 


each  month,  the  guide  for  that  month  is  brought  forward  and 
placed  before  the  daily  guides,  and  all  follow-up  material  for  that 
month  is  distributed  behind  the  daily  guides. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  the  correspondence  before  the  follow- 


98  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

up  date,  the  original  letter  can  be  found  in  the  alphabetic  file. 
The  date  written  across  its  face  will  show  where  the  copy  of  the 
answer  may  be  found. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Explain  the  operation  of  a  follow-up  method  of  filing  correspondence. 
Give  two  instances  in  which  you  think  a  method  of  tliis  kind  would  be 
useful  in  a  business  house.     Do  not  quote  from  the  text. 

Special  Files 

There  are  types  of  commercia"!  papers  that,  because  of  their 
size  or  nature,  require  special  filing  equipment.  The  very  full 
descriptive  catalogues  issued  by  filing  supply  houses  furnish  inter- 
esting reading  for  those  wishing  to  go  further  into  this  question. 
Special  cabinets  are  made  to  accommodate  architects'  drawings 
and  similar  papers,  blue  prints,  photographs,  invoices,  legal 
documents,  and  miscellaneous  papers.  Metal  cabinets  may  be 
obtained  for  papers  that  are  so  important  as  to  demand  special 
protection  in  case  of  fire. 

Transferring  ■ 

Transfer  Cases.  —  Three  general  styles  of  transfer  cases  are 
made  for  the  contents  of  vertical  files  : 

Cheaply  constructed  cabinets 

Boxes  like  the  filing  drawers,  which  can  be  bolted  together  to  form  a 
cabinet 

Small  heavy  board  transfer  eases 

The  folders  only  are  transferred,  the  folders  themselves  serv- 
ing as  guides  in  the  transfer  boxes.  Four  or  five  of  the  small 
transfer  cases  will  hold  the  contents  of  one  vertical  drawer. 

Labeling  Transfer  Cases.  —  Transfer  cases  should  be  labeled 
carefully  with  the  alphabetic  signification  and  the  dates  covered 
by  the  correspondence  in  them.  The  cases  should  be  numbered 
in  sequence,  so  that  they  may  be  replaced  easily  when  taken  from 
the  shelf.     The  filing   clerk  should  learn  to   print   conspicuous 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


99 


labels  for  drawers  and  transfer  cases.     A  little  practice  with  the 
lettering  pens  sold  by  stationers  will  enable  him  to  do  this.     Type- 
writing is  not    suitable   for 
this  purpose. 

Record  of  Transfers.  —  In 
the  front  of  each  filing  cab- 
inet drawer  there  is  usually 
found  a  "  Record  of  Trans- 
fers," on  which  should  be 
entered  the  number  of  the 
transfer  cases  containing  the 
correspondence  formerly  filed 
in  the  drawer. 

Methods  of  Transferring.  — 
Some  business  houses  trans- 
fer their  correspondence  once 
a  year  and  others  twice  a 
year.  Some  prefer  to  equip 
their  filing  room  with  suffi- 
cient cabinets  to  hold  cor- 
respondence for  two  3'ears. 
The  correspondence  of  1916 
and  1917  is  then  within  easy 
reach  at  all  times  during 
1917.  At  the  end  of  1917, 
the  correspondence  of  1916 
is  transferred  to  shelves  or 
vaults,  and  the  cabinets  are 

used    for  the    correspondence  courtesy  of  Amberg  me  &  index  company 

of  1918.  Cabinet  Used  for  Old  Correspondence 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

You  are  employed  by  a  firm  using  four  alphabetic  vertical  filing  cabi- 
nets for  a  year's  correspondence.  Make  out  an  order  on  a  local  filing 
firm  for  equipment  for  transferring  this  correspondence  to  small  cases 
and  preparing  the  files  for  next  year's  business. 


100 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Write  the  following  labels  with  a  lettering  pen,  in  spaces  about  3x2 
inches : 


1916 
AB-CE 


1917 
LIK-TUR 


1918 
WES-Z 


ORDERS 


Read  the  literature  issued  by  one  of  your  local  filing  supply  houses  and 
write  a  short  composition  on  what  you  have  learned  from  it. 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Transfer  Case  with  Contents 


SECTION  4 
MISCELLANEOUS   RECORDS 

A  student  who  attends  a  high  school  for  four  years,  forty  weeks 
per  year,  five  days  per  week,  six  classes  per  day,  and  who  has  been 
taught  by  perhaps  fifty  teachers  during  that  period,  can  obtain 
full  information  in  regard  to  his  scholarship  ten  years  after  his 
graduation.  The  necessity  for  furnishing  these  statistics  has 
forced  the  school  authorities  to  plan  systems  for  keeping  records 
that  may  be  available  at  any  moment. 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


101 


The  business  man,  too,  must  have  certain  information  at  his 
fingers'  ends.  It  is  because  he  must  know  at  a  glance  his  finan- 
cial condition  that  systems  of  bookkeeping  hJive  been  invented. 
It  is  to  meet  his  demands  for  other  kinds  of  information  that 
systems  for  keeping  records  in  loose-leaf  books  and  on  cards  have 
been  devised. 

Loose-leaf  Syste?ns 

Loose-leaf  records  are  records  kept  on  loose  sheets  of  paper, 
brought  together  in  book  form,  in  such  shape  that  each  sheet  can 
be  removed  if  desired,  without 
mutilating  the  book. 

The  equipment  consists  of 
a  patented  cover,  fitted  with 
small  rings  for  binding  the 
contents  together,  a  number 
of  sheets  perforated  to  fit  into 
these  metal  rings,  and  a  num- 
ber of  heavier  sheets  tabbed 
with  the  required  index.  These 
books  may  be  secured  in  any 
size,  from  a  small  memoran- 
dum book  to  a  large  salesbook 
or  ledger. 

In  the  small  sizes,  they  are 
particularly  useful  as  price  lists  for  salesmen,  or  for  anyone  who 
desires  to  carry  information  about  in  compact  form.  In  the 
larger  sizes,  they  are  displacing  in  manj'-  houses  bound  ledgers, 
journals,  and  salesbooks,  particularly  where  bookkeeping  is  done 
by  means  of  the  billing  and  posting  machines  now  on  the 
market. 

One  great  advantage  of  loose-leaf  books  over  the  old-fashioned 
bound  books,  is  that  any  leaf  containing  "  dead  "  information  or 
"  closed  "  accounts  may  be  discarded  or  transferred  to  another 
binder  without  disfiguring  the  book.     Again,  separate  pages  may 


Courtesy  of  Irving-Pitt  Mfg.  Company 
Loose-leaf  Book 


102  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

be  handed  out  to  different  clerks  to  work  upon.     With  the  old 
bound  books,  only  one  clerk  could  use  the  book  at  one  time. 


Cards  Showing  Different  Styles  of  Rulinu 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


103 


Card  Index  Systems 

A  card  index  system  is  any  system  for  keeping  information  so 
tabulated  on  cards  that  it  can  be  referred  to  instantly. 
Equipment.  —  This  consists  of  : 

Record  cards,  which  may  be  purchased  in  three  sizes,  in  various 
styles  of  rulings,  in  half  a  dozen  different  colors,  and  either 
blank  or  printed  to  meet  special  requirements. 

Guides,  in  the  same  sizes  as  the  cards,  tabbed  for  the  system 
of  indexing  required,  and  in  white  or  colors. 

Cabinets  to  hold  the  guides  and  cards. 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Card  Index  Guides 


Types  of  Card  Systems. — A  consideration  of  several  card  index 
systems  illustrated  here  will  show  the  uses  and  advantages  of 
these  types  of  records. 


Courtesy  of  Amberg  File  &  Index  Company 
Card  Index  Cabinet 


104 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


School  Records.  —  The  cuts  (pages  105-106)  show  the  front  and 
the  back  of  a  child's  school  record  card,  devised  by  the  Superin- 
tendents' Division  of  the  National  Education  Association.  This 
card  is  filed  in  the  office  of  the  principal  or  the  superintendent,  and 
gives  the  authorities  full  information  regarding  each  pupil.  When 
the  child  leaves  the  school,  the  reason  is  noted  and  the  card  filed  in 
a  separate  drawer.  It  forms  a  permanent  history  of  the  child 
during  his  school  life. 

Em'ployees'  Records.  —  This  is  a  form  of  card  used  by  office 
managers  and  factory  superintendents.     It  gives  the  history  of 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbc  Mfg.  Co. 

Employees'  Record  Card 


an  employee  during  his  connection  with  the  house.  There  is 
provision  on  the  back  of  the  card  for  additional  data  regarding 
his  personality.  It  is  useful  in  deciding  promotions ;  and  when 
ex-employees  apply  for  letters  of  recommendation,  it  serves  as  a 
reminder  of  their  achievements. 

Catalogue  Records.  —  The  cards  illustrated  on  page  108  pro\dde 
for  the  indexing  of  catalogues.  Catalogues  are  usually  numbered 
and  filed  in  a  vertical  cabinet  containing  drawers  of  different 
sizes. 

A  card  is  made  out,  giving  the  dealer's  name  and  his  catalogue 
number  (as  illustrated).     The  articles  he  sells  may  also  be  listed 


OFFICE   RECORDS  — FILING 


105 


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106 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


1 

a 
SCHOOL 

b 

Date  of 

Admission 

c 

Age 
Yrs.      Mos. 

Grade 

e 

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In  th»  space  below  may  be  recorded:    (l)     cases  of  truancy;     (2)  cases  of  corporal  punishment; 
(3)  reasons  for  non-promotion;      (4)  oTher  matters  worthy  of  record,   such   as  serious  illness  or  pro- 
nounced characteristics  likely  to  affect  success. 

-«^^I^.*«^.-<**o^^   ^^C.<^   -'^^<,^ir-7^cZ:^^^<^^c.^>tZ.c^r-u<^ 

.aJc^A^J    -^^-^UX-Td£t-«:L-<?L^_-<j/^t«iz-^^«^^i-^^ 

/                               7  ■                  ^           t 

Courtesy  of  The  Shaw- Walker  Company 

School  Record  Card 

(Showing  reverse  of  card) 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


107 


on  the  card,  although  this  is  not  always  necessary.   Dealers'  cards 
are  filed  alphabetically. 

Another  set  of  cards  is  made  out  by  subject  —  that  is,  every 
article  listed  in  the  catalogue  is  assigned  a  card  (note  illustration) . 
The  card  bears  the  name  and  catalogue  number  of  the  dealers 
that   sell  that   particular   article.      These   cards    are    also    filed 


Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Catalogue  Cabinet 


alphabetically.  Where  there  are  many  different  kinds  of  the 
same  article,  —  screws,  for  example,  —  a  card  is  assigned  for  each 
kind  of  screw,  and  a  special  guide  made  out  for  the  general 
heading. 

Lawyers'  Records.  —  The  card  shown  on  page   109   serves   the 
double  purpose  of  giving  a  record  of  the  proceedings  in  a  case  and 


108 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


G 


"*"£  American  Gl.ue  Co  .  , 

-■83 

Aon»es3 

1 

ARTICLES 

PAGE 

Sandpaper 

D.  L. 

Glue 

J' 

!                               0!j) 

1  rn.  Xi  ".n-w."; 

The  index  by  name  of  vendor 
Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 

Catalogue  Record  Card 


^  Springs      \ 

Screws         \ 


ASTicLE   Sandpaper 

FIRM 

ADDRESS 

CAT. NO. 

American  Glue  Co  .  , 

83 

Armour  Sandpaper  Works 

665 

Austin  &Eddy 

17 

1 

MinnesotaMin.  Mfg.  Co. 

92 

^k 

\  ru  \n  -in  '.fi2c 

The  index  by  name  of  article 

Courtesy  of  Library  Bureau 
Catalogue  Record  Card 


OFFICE    RECORDS  —  FILING 


109 


the  lawyer's  account  with  his  chent.     The  cards  are  filed  alphabeti- 
cally by  the  cUent's  name,  or  numerically  by  the  number  of  the  case. 


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Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Lawyer's  Record  Card 


Factory  Cost  Records.  —  The  card  shown  on  page  110  furnishes 
a  comprehensive  but  compact  method  of  arriving  at  the  factory 
cost,  the  selling  price,  and  the  profit  on  an  article  manufactured 
to  fill  a  certain  order.  It  may  be  filed  by  the  customer's  name, 
by  the  order  number,  or  by  the  name  of  the  article  made,  as 
desired. 

The  Desk  Tickler.  —  This  is  a  small  box  equipped  with  a  set  of 
monthly  guides,  a  set  of  daily  guides,  and  a  supply  of  blank  cards. 
It  is  not  an  office  record  for  general  reference,  but  is  used  by  in- 
dividuals to  remind  them  of  things  that  must  be  done  each  day. 
The  necessary  memoranda  are  jotted  on  cards  and  filed  back  of  the 
proper  dates.  The  tickler  is  consulted  each  morning.  It  takes 
the  place  of  a  desk  calendar  pad  where  items  to  be  remembered 
are  numerous.     Note  the  illustration  on  page  110. 


110 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


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Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Factory  Cost  Record  Card 


Tabbed  Card  Systems.  —  Sets  of  cards  are  sometimes  made  with 
tabs  projecting  in  different  positions  at  their  upper  edge.     These 

tabs  indicate  some  special 
item  of  information,  and 
their  use  permits  a  double 
system  of  indexing  for  each 
card. 

For  example :  An  ordi- 
nary card  may  be  made  out 
for  each  customer  and  a 
tabbed  card  for  each  pro- 
spective customer,  or  "pros- 
pect," as  he  is  called. 
All  the  cards  may  be  filed 
alphabetically  and  the  tabs 
r.   -      ,^         .^..,,r.  will  indicate  the  prospects 

Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co.  . 

Desk  Tickler  without    the   necessity  for 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING 


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consulting  the  information  on  the  cards.    As  soon  as  the  prospect 
becomes  a  customer,  the  tab  may  be  cut  off. 

The  tabs  may  bear  the  months  of  the  year,  or  any  other  signifi- 
cation which  will  serve  the  purpose  of  the  record. 

Magazine  Subscription  Records.  —  The  card  shown  here  serves 
as  a  record  of  ten  years'  subscriptions  for  one  person.  The  cards 
are  filed  alphabetically ; 
and  as  the  tab  indicates 
the  month  in  which  the 
subscription  expires,  it 
is  a  simple  matter  for 
the  subscription  clerk, 
when  the  proper  time 
arrives,  to  pick  out  all 
the  cards  for  any  one 
month  and  send  re- 
newal notices  to  the 
subscribers.  Of  course, 
a  set  of  these  cards  would  include  cards  tabbed  for  each  month. 

Signal  Card  Systems.  —  The  card  shown  here  illustrates  a  fol- 
low-up system  that  is  preferred  in  some  houses  to  the  corre- 
spondence follow-up  system  mentioned  in  a  previous  chapter. 


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Magazine  Subscription  Record  Card 


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Follow-up  Card 


Courtesy  of  Yawman  &  Erbe  Mfg.  Co. 
Signals  or  Indicators 


112  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

The  information  is  entered  on  the  cards  and  a  little  metal 
indicator  or  signal  is  slipped  over  the  figure  at  the  top  of  the 
card  corresponding  to  the  date  on  which  it  is  desired  to  follow 

up  the  matter.  The 
cards  are  filed  alpha- 
betically. Every  morn- 
ing the  follow-up  clerk 
takes  out  all  the  cards 
bearing  signals  for  that 
date,  gives  them  the 
necessary  attention,  and  transfers  the  signal  to  the  next  follow-up 
date  desired. 

These  signals  may  be  used  for  various  other  purposes  besides 
following  up  prospects.  They  are  made  in  different  colors  to 
indicate  different  kinds  of  information.  They  are  a  variation  of 
the  tab  system,  and  have  the  advantage  of  being  removable. 

Installing  a  System.  —  The  office  worker  is  often  required  to 
plan  out  a  system  for  recording  certain  information.  He  should 
analyze  carefully : 

The  information  required 

The  way  in  which  it  will  be  referred  to  —  alphabetically,  by 

subject,  geographically,  numerically 
The  logical  way  to  arrange  it 

The  style  of  equipment  offered  by  dealers  to  cover  his  needs 
The  cost 

He  is  then  ready  to  decide.  He  may  discover  that  there  is  no 
stock  card  made  that  will  suit  his  case.  In  that  event,  he  may 
use  plain  cards,  writing  or  typing  in  the  headings  ;  or,  if  the  matter 
is  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  the  extra  expense,  cards 
may  be  printed  to  order. 

To  insure  records  being  read  accurately  and  quickly,  they 
should  be  typewritten  or  neatly  written  by  hand.  Once  a  system 
is  installed,  it  should  be  followed  rigidly  and  kept  up  to  date. 
Cards  containing  dead  matter  should  be  destroyed  or  assigned  a 
separate  place  in  the  file. 


OFFICE   RECORDS  —  FILING  113 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Explain  the  operation  of  the  desk  tickler. 

Write  a  paragraph  giving  your  ideas  of  a  possible  use  of  a  card  index 
system  in  the  household,  stating  its  advantages  over  the  methods  employed 
by  the  ordinary  housekeeper. 

The  school  authorities  are  required  to  enforce  the  Compulsory  Educa- 
tion Law,  which  pro\ddes  for  the  attendance  at  school  of  all  children  under 
sixteen  years.  The  attendance  clerk  is  obliged  to  turn  over  to  the  proper 
authorities  information  regarding  the  number  of  days'  attendance,  the 
number  of  days'  absence,  tardiness,  scholarship  records,  and  book  ac- 
counts of  all  children  under  sixteen  who  have  been  absent  from  school 
continuously  for  ten  days,  and  whose  parents  pay  no  attention  to  corre- 
spondence on  the  subject.  If  you  were  the  attendance  clerk,  how  would 
you  keep  track  of  such  absences? 

There  are  certain  records  and  reports  which  the  teachers  in  your 
school  are  supposed  to  give  to  the  school  office  during  the  first,  the  sixth, 
the  twelfth,  and  the  eighteenth  weeks  of  the  term.  Plan  out  some  simple 
system  by  which  these  matters  will  be  automatically  called  to  your 
teacher's  attention  at  the  proper  time. 


PART   IV 
OFFICE  TELEPHONE 

Section  1    Telephone  Manners 

Using  the  Voice 

Important  Rules 
Section  2     Operating  the  Telephone 
Section  3    Making  and  Answering  Calls 

Making  the  Call 

Answering  the  Call 

Emergency  Calls 
Section  4    Equipping  the  Desk  or  Booth 

General  Equipment 

Private  Extensions 

Telephone  Directories 
Section  5    Installing  the  Telephone 

Telephone  Subscribers 

Telephone  Instruments 

Private  Branch  Exchange  Switchboards 

PubUe  Telephones 

Verifying  Monthly  Bills 

SECTION  1 


TELEPHONE  MANNERS 

Here  is  a  picture  of  the  first  telephone.  Twenty-five  years 
ago  this  telephone  was  a  luxury.  To-day  its  modern  descendant 
is  a  necessity.  With  its  aid  the  business  wheels  move  smoothly ; 
without  it,  the  machinery  practically  stops. 

If  the  business  world  of  to-day  receives  efficient  telephone 
service,  it  is  because  the  telephone  companies  have  spared  no 
expense  in  perfecting  their  plants  and  in  training  their  employees. 

114 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE 


115 


It  is  the  inexperienced  user  of  the  telephone  who  so  frequently 
fails  to  fulfill  his  part  of  the  compact.  He  simply  vents  his  un- 
governable temper  upon  the  telephone  girl,  because  he  does  not 
understand  how  to  operate  the  mechanism  he  holds  in  his  hand. 
It  is  the  business  of  the  telephone  user  to  know  what  the  telephone 
girl  is  expected  to  do 
for  him,  and  what  he 
is  expected  to  do  for 
her,  for  through  intelh- 
gent  team-work  only 
can  satisfactory  results 
be  obtained. 

Very  early  in  their 
histories  the  telephone 
companies  reaUzed  that 
the  telephone  girl  was 
of  as  much  value  to 
them  as  was  the  appa- 
ratus that  yearly  costs 
them  milUons  of  dollars 
to  perfect  and  enlarge, 
and  they  began  to  organ- 
ize schools  of  instruc- 
tion that  would  appeal 
to  intelligent  young 
women  who  could  be 
taught  to  make  the  telephone  business  a  pajdng  proposition.  The 
telephone  girl  to-day  is  a  well-trained  business  woman,  and  her 
work  is  not  easy.  If  she  does  not  average  up  to  the  standards  set 
by  the  training  school,  she  is  not  retained.  And  it  matters  not 
how  experienced  she  is  as  an  operator,  she  is  always  supervised. 

Now  the  first  trait  that  a  young  office  assistant  should  exhibit 
is  good  manners  —  the  kind  that  will  make  him  on  all  occasions 
talk  to  the  telephone  operator  as  he  would  certainly  talk  to  her 
were   he  in   her  presence.     Self-control  is  an  excellent   business 


Courtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
First  Telephone 


116 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


asset.     It  is  neither  sportsmanlike  nor  businesslike  to  hit  at  some 
one  who  is  not  in  position  to  hit  back. 

Using  the  Voice 

In  the  smaller  office,  the  work  of  attending  to  the  telephone 
usually  devolves  upon  the  junior  clerk  or  the  stenographer.  His 
first  lesson  must  be  the  proper  use  of  his  voice.  He  should  speak 
clearly  and  distinctly  over  the  telephone,  using  the  rising  inflection. 


I  curtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
Chelsea  Excil^nge,  New  York  City 

He  should  notice  the  voice  of  the  telephone  girl  as  she  speaks  to 
him.     It  is  slow,  clear,  distinct,  and  well  modulated. 

A  telephone  office  can  be  run  so  that,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  there  may  be  dozens  of  girls  telephoning  all  the  time,  the 
visitor  is  conscious  only  of  a  very  subdued  hum  of  voices.  No 
excuse  can  be  offered  for  the  office  assistant  who  permits  his 
voice   to    reach    such    a   pitch  when  telephoning   that  work  at 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE  117 

neighboring  desks  must  be  suspended.  If  perhaps  half  a  dozen 
people  seated  near  a  telephone  are  obliged  to  cease  work  every 
time  it  is  used,  that  office  is  being  run  on  a  very  extravagant  basis, 
for  some  one  is  clogging  the  machinery,  and  that  some  one  may 
be  you.  A  glance  at  this  illustration  of  a  central  telephone  office 
in  operation  is  interesting,  and  a  visit  to  one  is  a  revelation. 

In  talking  into  the  telephone,  face  its  mouthpiece  and  speak 
directly  into  it  with  your  lips  close  to  it.  The  telephone  girl  is 
not  incompetent  because  she  fails  to  hear  a  number  given  to  her 
by  a  subscriber  who  does  not  realize  that  he  is  expected  to  talk 
into  the  telephone  and  not  to  the  floor  or  the  ceiling  of  his  office. 

Important  Rules 

On  all  OUTGOING  Calls 

Always  look  in  the  telephone  book  to  make  sure  you  call  the 
right  number.  If  you  do  not  find  the  number  in  the  book,  ask 
"Information." 

Call  your  number  with  a  shght  pause  between  the  hundreds 
and  tens.  For  example,  in  calling  ' '  Barclay  1263 ' '  say  :  ' '  Barclay 
One  Two  (pause)  Six  Three." 

Speak  dearly  and  distinctly,  directly  into  the  transmitter. 

Listen  to  the  operator's  repetition  of  the  number  and  acknowl- 
edge it. 

Hold  the  line  until  your  party  answers  and  then  give  your 
whole  attention  to  the  telephone  conversation. 

To  recall  the  operator,  move  the  receiver  hook  up  and  down 
slowly. 

When  you  have  finished  talking,  say  "Good-by"  and  re- 
place the  receiver  on  the  hook. 

Remember,  courtesy  over  the  telephone  is  always  desirable. 
It  wins  friends  for  you  and  your  company. 

On  all  INCOMING  Calls 

Answer  your  telephone  promptly  and  pleasantly. 

Announce  your  name  and  the  name  of  your  department, 
but  do  not  say  "Hello." 

Be  ready  with  pad  and  pencil  in  order  not  to  keep  your  caller 
waiting. 


118  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

If  you  require  help  in  handling  the  call  properly,  get  it  at  once 
or  politely  transfer  the  call  to  the  employee  who  can  best  han- 
dle it. 

If  you  answer  for  another  employee,  offer  to  take  the  mes- 
sage, and  then  call  it  to  the  other's  attention  at  the  first  oppor- 
tunity. 

Listen  attentively,  so  that  you  will  not  have  to  annoy  the 
caller  by  asking  him  to  repeat. 

Remember,  abruptness  or  indifference  drives  away  trade. 

Maintain  the  same  courtesy  and  consideration  in  a  telephone 
conversation  that  you  would  with  your  customer  face  to  face. 

The  Voice  with  the  Smile  Wins. 

Be  slow  to  blame  the  operator  for  a  mistake.  She  may  not 
be  at  fault. 

The  telephone  reflects  your  personality.  Be  yourself  when 
telephoning. 

To  "  be  yourself  "  when  telephoning  means  that  the  pleasing  side 
of  your  character  shall  be  in  evidence,  that  this  pleasing  element  in 
you  will  produce  the  voice  that  is  a  smile,  and  that  this  smiling 
voice  will  give  what  is  so  important  to  the  person  listening  —  the 
rising  inflection  that  will  make  it  easy  to  understand  what  you  are 
saying. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Describe  briefly  what  is  meant  by  good  telephone  manners. 

What  do  you  think  the  Telephone  Company  really  means  by  the  sen- 
tence, "The  Voice  with  the  Smile  Wins"? 

Why  is  it  a  desirable  thing  to  possess  a  voice  that  is  distinct  and  well 
modulated  ? 

SECTION  2 
OPERATING  THE  TELEPHONE 

The  telephone  workers  with  whom  telephone  subscribers  usually 
come  in  voice  contact  are  known  as  Central,  Information,  Traflic 
Manager,  and  Long  Distance  (or  Toll  Operator).  Each  of  these 
employees  has  particular  duties,  each  may  be  used  by  the  public, 
and  it  is  the  business  of  the  telephone  subscriber  to  know  the 
functions  of  all. 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE 


119 


Classes  of  Telephone  Calls.  —  There  are  three  broad  classes 
of  telephone  calls:  (1)  Local  Calls,  which  are  taken  care  of  by 
the  Central  operator  and  which  cover  calls  to   any   telephones 


1 

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Courtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
Central  Operator 


located  within  the  same  local  service  area;  (2)  Tvoo-numher 
Toll  Calls;  and  (3)  Particular-person  Toll  Calls,  which  are  taken 
care  of  by  the  Long  Distance  operator.     See  page  123. 


120  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Calling  Central. — You  are  a  telephone  subscriber  with  an 
office  at  26  East  18th  Street,  and  your  telephone  number  is  Stuyve- 
sant  4238.  Wilham  Rankin  is  a  telephone  subscriber  with  an 
office  at  32  East  20th  Street,  and  his  telephone  number  is  Stuyve- 
sant  2397.  "  Stuyvesant  "  is  the  official  name  given  to  the 
telephone  exchange  or  central  office  that  takes  care  of  subscribers 
located  in  the  18th  Street  district,  and  "  4238  "  and  ''  2397  "  are 
the  numbers  assigned  to  you  and  William  Rankin  when  you  be- 
came subscribers. 

Look  at  the  picture  on  page  119  of  a  telephone  girl  at  work. 
Notice  the  myriads  of  white  spots  that  dot  the  board  before  which 
she  sits.  They  are  tiny  white  signal  lights,  and  one  of  them 
represents  you  when  you  take  the  telephone  receiver  from  its  hook. 

You  want  to  telephone  Mr.  Rankin,  and  you  begin  by  lifting 
your  telephone  receiver  from  its  hook.  This  causes  your  tiny 
white  light  (which  is  Stuyvesant  4238)  to  flash  before  Central. 
At  the  same  instant  another  and  larger  light  appears  directly 
under  it,  glowing  in  a  way  to  attract  her  attention.  Almost  im- 
mediately you  hear  her  say,  "  Number,  please?  " 

Be  ready  with  your  number,  and  give  it  in  the  following  order : 

Name  of  central  office  wanted 
Each  figure  of  the  telephone  number 
The  party  line  letter,  if  there  is  one 

Numbers  which  are  even  hundreds  or  even  thousands  should 
be  given  as  such,  instead  of  each  figure  being  given  separately. 
For  example : 

State    8245    —  "State,  eight  two  (pause)  four  five." 
Main    125-J  —  "Main,  one  two  five,  Party  J." 
Broad  4800    —  "Broad,  four  eight  hundred." 
Worth  5000    —  "Worth,  five  thousand." 

The  number  wanted  is  "  Stuyvesant  2397."  Say  "  Stuyvesant 
2  3  (pause)  9  7."  Pausing  slightly  between  the  hundreds  and  the 
tens  will  enable  the  operator  to  understand  the  number  easily 
and  to  locate  it  on  the  switchboard  quickly.     Central  will  always 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE  121 

repeat  the  number  given  and  will  repeat  it  as  it  should  be  given. 
This  acts  as  a  check  upon  you  and  upon  her. 

She  will  then  connect  you  with  Mr.  Rankin's  office.  The  ring- 
ing of  his  telephone  bell  will  notify  him  that  he  is  wanted  at  the 
telephone,  and  the  flashing  of  another  light  before  Central  will 
tell  her  when  he  has  lifted  his  receiver  from  the  hook. 

While  talking  to  Mr.  Rankin  something  happens  and  he  fails 
to  continue  his  conversation  with  you.  In  telephone  language, 
this  is  known  as  being  "  cut  off."  Place  your  finger  on  your  re- 
ceiver hook,  press  it  slowly  up  and  down  a  few  times.  One  of  the 
lights  before  Central  will  flash  and  die  out  alternately.  It  is  her 
signal  that  you  want  to  communicate  with  her.  In  an  instant 
you  will  hear  her  say,  ''  Central."  Tell  her  what  has  happened 
and  the  matter  will  be  remedied. 

Why  is  it  necessary  to  press  the  hook  gently?  Because  it  is 
this  even  pressing  up  and  down  that  causes  the  light  to  continue 
to  flash  and  die  out.  When  you  lose  your  temper  and  wrathfully 
jerk  the  hook  up  and  down,  no  light  appears  before  Central ;  and, 
as  she  is  not  permitted  to  listen  to  conversations,  she  has  no  means 
of  knowing  that  she  is  wanted. 

When  you  and  Mr.  Rankin  finish  your  conversation,  you  both 
hang  up  your  receivers.  Two  lights  flash  before  Central  to  indi- 
cate that  the  call  has  been  completed.     She  then  disconnects. 

Calling  Information.  ■ —  When  your  telephone  directory  does 
not  give  the  number  or  the  information  wanted,  say  to  Central, 
"  Information,  please?  " 

"  Information  "  is  one  of  a  special  group  of  operators  employed 
in  all  large  central  offices  to  supply  information  wanted  by  sub- 
scribers. Before  her  are  sets  of  reference  books.  Make  it  a  rule 
never  to  ask  for  infoi'mation  that  you  can  obtain  for  yourself. 
To  do  so  is  a  mark  of  inefficiency.  If  it  is  a  telephone  number, 
be  very  sure  it  is  not  in  the  telephone  directory.  If  it  is  informa- 
tion of  another  nature,  be  equall}'  sure  that  the  answer  may  not 
also  be  found  there. 

Central's  business  is  to  connect   you  with  people  whose  tele- 


122 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


phone  numbers  you  give  to  her.  A  glance  at  the  picture  of  the 
central  telephone  operator  on  page  119  will  show  you  that  she 
has  near  her  no  directories  and  is  not  in  position  to  give  you  num- 
bers that  you  cannot  or  will  not  find  for  yourself.  Is  is  the 
duty  of  Information  to  perform  such  service. 


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Courtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
Information  Operators  at  Work 

If,  for  example,  you  believe  that  John  Smith  has  a  telephone, 
one  of  the  following  situations  may  exist : 

He  may  be  such  a  very  recent  subscriber  that  his  name  does  not 
appear  in  the  current  issue  of  the  directory.  Information  will 
give  j^ou  the  number  that  has  been  assigned  to  him. 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE  123 

He  may  have  discontinued  his  telephone.  Information  will 
let  you  know. 

He  may  be  an  unlisted  subscriber.  In  this  case,  neither  Central 
nor  Information  is  permitted  to  furnish  the  number,  as  subscribers 
of  this  type  have  private  wires  and  they  cannot  be  reached  on  the 
telephone  unless  the  person  calling  knows  the  number  wanted. 

When  Information  gives  you  the  number  you  want,  it  is  for  you 
to  repeat  the  number  to  Central,  who  will  follow  Information. 
Sometimes  Information  may  do  this  for  you. 

Calling  Traffic  Manager.  —  Every  central  telephone  office  has  a 
supervisor  known  as  the  "  Traffic  Manager." 

It  is  the  business  of  this  operator  to  receive  and  attend  to  all 
complaints  by  subscribers  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  service. 
These  may  be  narrowed  down  to  two  kinds,  unsatisfactory 
service  rendered  b}^  Central  and  unsatisfactory  service  caused  by 
defects  in  telephone  mechanism. 

Defects  in  mechanism  should  be  reported  to  the  Manager  at 
once.  Unsatisfactory  service  by  Central  should  also  be  called  to 
the  Manager's  attention ;  but  it  is  quite  certain  that  as  j^ou  come 
to  know  more  about  the  telephone,  you  will  find  less  reason  to  call 
the  Manager  to  make  complaints  about  poor  central  office  service. 

Calling  Long  Distance  (or  Toll  Operavor).  —  When  a  subscriber 
wants  to  telephone  to  some  one  located  in  a  distant  city  or  state, 
he  requests  Central  to  give  him  "  Long  Distance,"  the  operator 
who  attends  to  calls  of  this  type. 

In  making  Long  Distance  calls,  a  very  important  point  to  re- 
member is  to  give  the  Long  Distance  operator  the  name  of  the 
person  in  the  firm  to  whom  you  wish  to  speak.  If  you  want  to 
talk  to  Mr.  Jones  of  the  National  Trust  Company  of  Philadelphia, 
and  he  is  not  in  when  the  call  arrives,  you  will  not  be  charged  for 
it.  If  you  ask  Long  Distance  to  give  you  the  number  of  the 
National  Trust  Company  and,  after  you  have  obtained  it,  then  ask 
for  Mr.  Jones,  the  charge  will  be  made  whether  Mr.  Jones  responds 
or  not.  These  calls  are  referred  to,  technically,  as  Two-number 
Toll  Calls  and  Particular-person  Toll  Calls. 


124  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

The  Two-number  Toll  Call  is  your  National  Trust  Company 
call.  Here  you  asked  for  a  number  located  outside  the  local 
service  area  and  at  a  point  to  which  there  is  a  two-number  toll 
rate.  Charge  is  made  if  connection  is  completed  with  the  number 
called,  the  time  for  which  the  charge  is  made  beginning  when  the 
number  called  first  answers.  More  rapid  service  can  be  given,  and 
in  general  a  lower  rate  is  charged  on  two-number  toll  calls  than  on 
particular-person  toll  calls. 

The  Particular-person  Toll  Call  is  your  Mr.  Jones  call.  Here 
you  asked  by  name  for  a  person  reached  through  a  telephone  which 
is  located  outside  the  local  service  area  and  at  a  point  to  which 
there  is  a  particular-person  toll  rate.  Charge  is  made  if  con- 
nection is  completed  with  the  particular-person  called  (or  with 
the  number  called,  if  the  calling  subscriber  has  indicated  that  he  is 
willing  to  talk  with  anyone  at  the  called  station),  the  time  for  which 
the  charge  is  made  beginning  when  cotiversation  with  the  particular 
person  (or  the  number  called,  if  it  is  a  call  for  anyone)  first  starts. 

To  make  a  Particular-person  Toll  Call,  or  to  secure  information 
concerning  the  rates  on  such  calls,  tell  the  operator  who  first 
answers  your  call  the  name  of  the  city,  town,  or  locality  in  which 
the  person  with  whom  you  wish  to  talk  is  located.  The  operator 
will  connect  you  with  a  Long  Distance  or  Toll  Operator,  who  will 
identify  herself  by  answering  "  Long  Distance  "  or  "  Toll  Opera- 
tor." When  the  Long  Distance  or  Toll  Operator  answers,  give 
her  the  following  details  : 

The  telephone  number  from  which  the  call  is  made  and  your 

name,  if  you  desire  to  give  it 
The  name  of  the  city  or  town  and  state  in  which  the  person 

desired  is  located. 
The  number  of  the  telephone  desired,  if  known 
The  firm  name  or  the  name  and  initials  of  the  person  under 
whose  name  the  telephone  is  listed  and  the  street  ad- 
dress, if  the  telephone  number  is  not  known 
The  name  of  the  person  with  whom  you  wish  to  speak 
The  name  of  the  alternate  person,  if  you  are  wilUng  to  talk 
with  any  one  else  in  case  the  person  desired  cannot  be 
reached 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE 


125 


Listen  for  the  operator  to  repeat  the  details  of  your  call,  remain 
at  the  telephone  until  she  indicates  that  you  may  hang  up  the 
receiver,  and  wait  patiently  until  called  to  the  telephone.  Bear  in 
mind  that  to  establish  a  connection  between  New  York  and 
Chicago,  for  example,  usually  takes  several  minutes.  The  sub- 
scriber who  literally  pesters  Central  on  an  average  of  every  minute 
or  two  simply  displays  his  ignorance  of  the  procedure  necessary. 
When  the  connection  is  made,  Central  will  ring  you  up. 

Long  Distance  calls  represent  a  fair  amount  of  money  expended, 
and  a  few  things  must  be  definitely  borne  in  mind.  Know  just 
what  you  want  to  say  and  waste  very  little  time  saying  it.  This 
does  not  mean  that  you  must  become  telegraphic  in  your  language. 
Long  Distance  is  becoming  very  popular  with  many  firms,  and  is 
a  tremendous  time  and  money  saver.  The  following  extract  from 
Collier's  Weekly  is  interesting  : 

A  trip  from  Chicago  to  New  York  and  return,  allowing  for 
one  day's  average  expenses  in  the  city,  would  cost  a  business 
man  about  $90  at  a  conservative  estimate,  and  would  require 
at  least  two  days'  time. 

That  expense  alone  would  cover  the  cost  of  eighteen  long 
distance  telephone  conversations,  at  $5  for  three  minutes, 
or  for  a  total  of  about  an  hour's  conversation,  at  $1.50  per  minute. 
In  addition  to  this,  the  man  would  have  had  his  two  days' 
time,  and  his  plans  would  be  spared  the  delay  and  interruption. 
The  proportion  is  even  greater  for  lesser  distances  and 
smaller  telephone  rates. 

The  following  examples  will  give  some  idea  of  the  rates  charged 
for  this  grade  of  service  : 


New  York  City  to 


Every  Additional 

MrauTES 

Minute  or  Frac- 

tion Thereof 

$  .90 

$  .30 

1.25 

.40 

5.00 

1.50 

1.25 

.40 

1.00 

.30 

1.25 

.40 

2.25 

.75 

.90 

.30 

Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 
Boston,  Mass.      .     .     . 

Chicago,  111 

Fall  River,  Mass.     .     . 
Narragansett  Pier,  R.  I. 
Washington,  D.  C.  .     . 
Montreal,  P.  Q.   .     .     . 
Lenox,  Mass.       .     .     . 


126  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

And  finally,  when  you  want  to  telephone  to  any  place  out  of 
town,  inspect  your  directories  and  see  whether  the  call  is  Long 
Distance  or  merely  Suburban.  Central  will  attend  to  suburban 
calls. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Describe  the  proper  method  of  calUng  Central  when  a  number  is 
wanted. 

What  is  meant  by  "Information, "  and  indicate  the  steps  to  be  observed 
in  obtaining  her. 

What  is  meant  by  "Long  Distance"  telephoning? 

You  are  in  New  York  City  and  wish  to  telephone  to  Mr.  John  Arm- 
strong of  the  Wanamaker  Store,  Philadelphia.  Indicate  the  steps  to 
be  observed  in  obtaining  him. 

You  are  in  New  York  City  and  wish  to  telephone  to  Stetson  &  Jen- 
nings of  Chicago.  Indicate  the  steps  to  be  observed  in  obtaining  them 
and  state  how  much  will  be  charged  for  a  nine-minute  conversation. 

How  will  you  decide  whether  the  city  or  the  town  to  be  telephoned  to 
is  Long  Distance  or  Suburban? 

What  are  the  duties  of  the  operator  known  as  "Traffic  Manager"? 
When  would  you  be  Ukely  to  ask  for  her  ? 


SECTION   3 
MAKING  AND   ANSWERING   CALLS 

In  these  days  of  brevity,  how  to  begin  a  business  conversation 
over  the  telephone  is  a  matter  of  importance.  The  way  in  which 
a  telephone  message  is  sent  indicates  to  quite  an  extent  the  char- 
acter of  the  sender ;  and  a  business  house  whose  telephoning  is 
quick,  bright,  to  the  point,  and  clear  in  its  enunciation  conveys  an 
impression  that  is  good. 

When  the  telephone  bell  rings,  respond  promptly  and  never 
leave  the  telephone  without  first  informing  the  person  holding  the 
wire  what  action  you  are  taking.  He  might  otherwise  infer  that 
his  request  was  not  being  attended  to. 

The  following  examples  may  be  termed  skeleton  outlines  of 
telephone  calls,  but  they  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  methods  em- 
ployed in  all  well-organized  business  houses  to-day. 


OFFICE  .TELEPHONE 


127 


Making  the  Call 

Study  carefully  these  methods  of  establishing  direct  connections 

with  the  persons  to  whom  you  wish  to  speak. 

Calling  Directly.  —  You  are  John  Brown  of  Brown  &  Co.,  tele- 
phone number  —  Plaza  6357. 

You  wish  to  telephone  to  James  Smith  of  Smith  &  Co.,  telephone 
number  —  Broad  3174. 


"Number,  please?" 

"Broad  3  1-74,"  using  rising  inflection. 
"Broad  3  1-74,"  confirming  call. 
Central  establishes  connection. 
"Smith  &  Co.,  Mr.  Smith  speaking." 
"This  is  Brown  &  Co.,  Mr.  Brown   at 

the  telephone,"  and  the  conversation 

begins. 
Brown  and  Smith  hang  up  receivers  and 

Central  disconnects. 

In  the  above  conversation,  notice  that  "  Hello,  who  is  speak- 
ing? "  is  not  used.     The  sentence  is  superfluous. 
Calling  Indirectly.  —  You  are  Miss  Ogden,  stenographer  for  Brown 

&  Co. 
Mr.  Brown  asks  you  to  connect  him  with  Mr.  Smith  of  Smith 

&Co. 
Miss  Walton  is  stenographer  for  Smith  &  Co. 


1  Brown  lifts    receiver 

from 

telephone  hook : 

2    Voice    of    telephone 

girl, 

known  as  Central, 

says: 

3  Brown : 

4    Central : 

5  Pause  of  few  seconds ; 

;       V 

6  Voice  of  Smith  : 

7  Brown : 

8  Call  completed : 

1  Miss  Ogden  lifts  receiver  ; 

2  Central : 

3  Miss  Ogden : 

4  Central : 

5  Pause  of  few  seconds  : 

6  Voice  of  Miss  Walton  : 

7  Miss  Ogden : 


"Number,  please?" 

"Broad  3  1-7  4,"  using  rising  inflection. 

"Broad  3  1-7  4,"  confirming  call. 

Central  establishes  connection. 

"Smith  &  Co.,  stenographer  at  the 
telephone." 

"This  is  Brown  &  Co.,  stenographer  at 
the  telephone.  Mr.  Brown  would  like 
to  speak  to  Mr.  Smith,  please." 


128 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


8  Miss  Walton : 

9  Pause  : 

10  Voice  of  Smith 

11  Miss  Ogden  : 

12  Pause : 

13  Brown : 

14  Call  completed : 


"Hold  the  wire,  please." 

Miss  Walton  connects  Mr.  Smith. 

"Mr.  Smith  speaking." 

"Hold  the  wire,  please." 

Miss  Ogden  connects  Mr.  Brown,  who 

answers  promptly. 
"Mr.   Brown  speaking,"  and  conversa- 
tion begins. 

Brown  and  Smith  hang  up  receivers  and 
Central  disconnects. 


Notice  in  the  above  conversation  that  Mr.  Brown,  who  is  both 
businessHke  and  courteous,  does  not  keep  Mr.  Smith  waiting.     To 
do  so  would  be  a  gross  breach  of  business  etiquette. 
Calling  up  Departments  in  Large  Firms.  — •  You   are  Mrs.   John 

Brown,   and  you  wish  to  order  by  telephone  some  blankets 

through  Altman  &  Co.,  a  large  dry-goods  firm. 


1  Mrs.  Brown  lifts  receiver  : 

2  Central : 

3  Mrs.  Brown : 

4  Central : 

5  Pause : 

6  Voice  of  Altman's  switch- 

board operator : 

7  Mrs.  Brown : 

8  Switchboard  operator : 

9  Pause : 

10  Voice  of  clerk  in  bedding 

department : 

11  Mrs.  Brown : 


12  Call  completed 


"Number,  please?" 

"Plaza  3  6-7  1,"  using  rising  inflection. 

"Plaza  3  6-71,"  confu'ming  caU. 

Central  establishes  connection. 

"Plaza  3  6-71"  (or  "  Altman  &  Com- 
pany "). 

"Connect  me  with  the  bedding  depart- 
ment, please. " 

"Hold  the  wire,  please." 

Switchboard  operator  establishes  con- 
nection. 

"Bedding  Department." 

"This  is  Mrs.  Brown  speaking,  of  78 
West  82nd  Street,"  and  the  conversa- 
tion begins. 

Mrs.  Brown  and  clerk  hang  up  receivers ; 
Altman  switchboard  operator  and 
Central  in  turn  disconnect. 


Notice  in  the  above  conversation  that  Mrs.  Brown  did  not  give 
her  name  or  state  the  nature  of  her  business  when  talking  to  the 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE  129 

switchboard  operator.  It  would  have  been  superfluous.  Her 
business  was  with  a  certain  department  and  she  was  intelHgent 
enough  to  know  that  large  firms  are  obliged  to  employ  girls  whose 
sole  work  is  connecting  people  with  different  departments  in  the 
firm.  If,  however,  Mrs.  Brown  found  that  she  did  not  know  the 
name  of  the  department  she  wanted,  she  would  say  to  the  switch- 
board operator,  "  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  connect  me  with 
the  department  in  charge  of  etc.,  etc.  ?  "  Even  here  she  would  not 
mention  her  name. 

Answering  the  Call 

In  the  call  outlined  under    "  Calhng  Indirectly,"    Mr.  Smith 
was  in  his  office  and  available.     We  shall  now  illustrate  a  case 
where  the  person  telephoned  to  is  not  in  his  office  when  the  call 
comes  in  at  9  a.m. 
Taking  a  Message.  — You  are  stenographer  for  Brown  &  Co.,  as 

above. 
Miss  Walton  is  stenographer  for  Smith  &  Co.,  as  above. 
Mr.  Smith  asks  Miss  Walton  to  connect  him  with  Mr.  Brown. 

1  Miss  Walton  lifts  receiver : 

2  Central:  "Number,  please?" 

3  Miss  Walton  :  "Plaza  6  3-57." 

4  Central :  "Plaza  6  3-57,"  confirming  call. 

5  Pause  :  Central  establishes  connection. 

6  Voice  of  Miss  Ogden :  "Brown    &    Co.,    stenographer    at    the 

telephone." 

7  Miss  Walton:  "Smith  &  Co.,  stenographer  at  the  tele- 

phone.    Mr.     Smith    would    like     to 
speak  to  Mr.  Brown." 

8  Miss  Ogden:  "Mr.    Brown   will   not   be   in    until    11 

o'clock.     Will  you  leave  a  message?" 

9  Miss  Walton :  "Ask  him,  please,  to  meet  Mr.  Smith  at 

luncheon  at  the   Lawyers   Club  at   1 
o'clock  to-day.      If  he  cannot  do  so, 
ask  him  to  telephone  Mr.  Smith  when 
he  comes  in." 
10  Miss  Ogden  :  "  Very  well,"  noting  message  on  pad. 

K 


130  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

11.  Call  completed :  Stenographers    hang    up    receivers    and 

Central  disconnects. 

12.  Miss  Odgen :  Places  message  on  Mr.  Brown's  desk. 

Emergency  Calls 

A  man  sitting  idly  at  his  desk  one  day,  watching  the  demoHtion 
of  a  two-story  building  directly  across  the  street,  was  horrified 
to  see  it  hterally  crumble.  Over  fifty  workmen  were  in  the  build- 
ing, which  was  about  one  block  long.  In  an  instant  his  hand 
reached  for  the  telephone  and  he  said,  "Central!  Police  Head- 
quarters, at  once!  "  The  connection  was  made  in  a  few  seconds, 
and  the  message  deUvered  was :    "A  building  has  just  collapsed 

at Street  and  Broadway.    Workmen  are  in  the  building.    Have 

ambulances  there  as  soon  as  possible."  In  less  than  five  minutes 
two  arrived,  as  well  as  a  fire  engine  from  around  the  corner.  In 
less  than  ten  minutes  the  fire  department,  the  police  reserves, 
and  scores  of  ambulances  were  on  the  scene.  The  work  of  rescue 
was  begun,  and  in  less  than  two  hours  every  workman  had  been 
removed  and  only  a  few  were  found  to  be  badly  injured.  This  is 
what  is  meant  by  an  emergency  call.  That  man's  cool  head  un- 
doubtedly helped  to  save  the  lives  of  many  men. 

Every  office  ought  to  have  posted  in  a  conspicuous  position 
near  the  telephone  a  placard  containing  the  telephone  numbers  of 
Police  Headquarters,  the  nearest  police  station,  fire  department, 
hospital,  and  the  names  of  half  a  dozen  physicians  whose  offices 
are  located  near  the  office.  If  the  telephone  in  your  office  or  in 
your  home  has  no  placard  of  this  type,  prepare  one.  And  post  it 
where  it  may  be  read  easily. 

The  New  York  Telephone  Company  provides  for  emergency 
calls  by  placing  on  switchboards,  where  they  may  be  i"ead  easily  by 
operators,  framed  lists  of  the  telephone  numbers  of  fire  and  police 
stations,  and  also  the  telephone  numbers  of  the  telegraph  com- 
panies. 

The  telephone  directories  give  the  following  directions  for  making 
emergency  calls : 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE  131 

Police !         Fire  !         A  mb  ulance ! 

HOW  TO  MAKE 
EMERGENCY  CALLS 

Say  to  the  operator 

"I  want  to  report  a  fire." 
"I  want  to  get  a  policeman." 
"I  want  to  get  an  ambulance." 

If  compelled  to  leave  telephone  before 
the  desired  station  answers 

TELL  THE  OPERATOR 
WHERE  HELP  IS  REQUIRED 

No  charge  for  such  calls 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Indicate  the  steps  that  would  be  taken  before  you  could  communicate 
by  telephone  with  the  manager  of  the  lace  department  in  a  large  dry- 
goods  store. 

At  1 :  20  P.M.  Mr.  David  Simms,  your  employer,  requests  you  to  tele- 
phone Mr.  Arthur  Jones,  who  is  thought  to  be  at  the  Union  League  Club. 
On  telephoning,  you  find  that  the  latter  has  left  a  message  that  he  will 
return  to  the  club  about  4 :  30  p.m.  On  returning  to  your  employer's 
desk,  you  find  he  has  left  the  office,  and  you  are  told  that  he  wiU  not 
return  until  2  o'clock.     What  will  you  do  under  these  circumstances? 

What  are  the  essential  points  to  be  observed  in  making  and  answering 
calls? 

What  is  an  emergency  call  and  when  is  it  made  ? 


SECTION  4 
EQUIPPING   THE    DESK    OR   BOOTH 

General  Equipment 

Nothing  is  perhaps  so  satisfying  to  the  person  using  a  telephone 
booth  or  desk  as  to  find  the  things  that  he  needs  just  where 
they  should  be  when  he  needs  them  —  within  easy  reach  of  his 
right  hand.  Just  as  long  as  absent-minded  people  will  persist 
in  walking  off  with  pencils,  pads,  and  directories,  just  so  long  will 


132  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

the  watchful  office  assistant  need  to  see  that  these  articles  are 
in  some  manner  secured  to  the  wall  or  the  desk. 

Stationers  carry  all  kinds  of  cheap  appliances  designed  to  save 
the  tempers  of  telephone  subscribers,  and  well-equipped  offices 
use  them.  Pencils  and  perforated  pads  can  be  tied  with  cord 
and  fastened  to  the  desk  permanently.  The  telephone  directory 
most  used  can  be  clamped  into  position  on  the  desk  or  on  a  mov- 
able shelf,  and  the  other  directories  hung  on  screws  fastened  to 
the  right  of  the  booth  or  desk.  Typewritten  lists  of  persons  or 
firms  telephoned  to  daily  can  be  alphabetically  arranged  and  so 
placed  on  the  wall  or  desk  that  they  can  be  read  from  either  a 
standing  or  a  sitting  position. 

One  of  the  most  common  complaints  made  against  certain 
business  houses  is  that  often  important  messages  never  reach  the 
person  for  whom  they  were  intended.  Another  is  the  confusion 
that  arises  in  taking  telephone  orders  for  goods.  All  this  may  be 
obviated  by  using  the  printed  forms  adopted  by  all  large  houses. 
For  example,  here  is  a  good  workable  form  : 

1917 

Memorandum  for  Mr 

Mr 

Address : 

Telephone  Number : 

telephoned  you  to-day  at o'clock.     He  wants  you  to 

call  him  up  at 

He  left  this  message  : 


(Signed) 

It  requires  very  little  thought  on  the  part  of  an  intelligent  clerk 
and  the  expenditure  of  very  little  money  on  the  part  of  the  office 
itself  so  to  equip  a  desk  that  the  person  who  finds  his  left  hand 
engaged  in  holding  the  receiver  may  use  his  right  to  pick  up  the 
pencil,  pad,  or  directory  needed  at  the  moment.  The  average 
business  man  has  no  time  to  think  of  these  apparently  small 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE 


133 


matters,  but  if  you  think  of  them  for  him,  you  will  be  surprised  to 
find  how  appreciative  he  will  be. 


Private  Extensions 


extension,"  is  to 


The  movable  hand  telephone,  known  as  an 
be  found  on  nearly  every  business  man's  desk. 

If  the  desk  is  the  flat  library  type,  the  problem  of  placing  the 
pad,  pencil,  directories,  and  typewritten  list  of  names  used  daily 
will  have  to  be  met 
in  a  way  to  suit  the 
user  of  the  desk.  Here 
the  great  point  is  the 
proper  placing  of  the 
typewritten  list. 

If  the  business  man 
wants  to  telephone 
directly,  it  is  a  great 
time  saver  for  him,  as 
his  hand  lifts  the  re- 
ceiver, to  have  his  eye 
meet  the  number  he 
does  not  memorize  but 
which  he  uses  so  often. 
And  even  where  he  employs  a  switchboard  operator,  he  should 
train  himself  to  give  her  the  number  and  not  the  name  only  of 
the  party  to  be  called.  To  ask  her  to  look  up  names  in  telephone 
directories  may  tie  up  other  calls. 

Telephone  Directories 

In  the  sections  on  reference  books,  the  various  kinds  of  tele- 
phone directories  used  will  be  discussed  in  detail.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  say  more  here  than  that  the  telephone  companies  issue 
free  of  charge  ge^ieral  and  classified  telephone  directories  containing 
the  names,  addresses,  and  telephone  numbers  of  subscribers ; 
that  these  names  are  arranged  alphabetically  and  may  be  found 


Courtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
Dksk  Extension 


134  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

by  consulting  the  index  at  the  top  of  each  page.  In  the  larger 
cities,  such  as  New  York,  Chicago,  and  San  Francisco,  these  books 
are  issued  about  three  times  a  year.  An  intelligent  reading  of  the 
index  will  indicate  the  great  variety  of  useful  and  necessary  infor- 
mation to  be  found  in  these  books,  much  of  which  is  not  known 
to  the  average  telephone  user. 

When  the  new  issues  arrive,  revise  your  alphabetic  typewritten 
lists  at  once.  The  telephone  companies  usually  remove  all  old 
directories.     If  they  do  not,  destroy  them  immediately. 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

Part  of  your  duties  as  stenographer  will  be  to  attend  to  much  of  the 
telephone  work  of  your  employer.  You  are  given  two  desks  and  a  re- 
volving chair.  One  desk  will  contain  your  typewriter  and  materials ;  - 
the  other,  which  is  a  flat  Ubrary  desk,  will  be  used  for  general  work  and 
for  your  telephone  equipment,  which  includes  a  desk  telephone.  Make 
a  diagram  indicating  just  how  you  wiU  equip  the  section  of  the  desk 
assigned  to  the  telephone. 

Make  up  two  good  workable  forms  that  you  think  would  be  of  value, 
to  the  average  business  man  for  his  telephone  messages.  One  of  these 
forms  may  be  for  taking  orders. 


SECTION   5 
INSTALLING   THE    TELEPHONE 
Telephone  Subscribers 

Telephone  subscribers  are  divided  into  classes,  according  to 
their  use  of  the  telephone.  Some  subscribers  have  business  tele- 
phone service,  others  have  residence  service,  and  they  are  listed 
in  the  telephone  directory  according  to  whether  they  have  indi- 
vidual lines,  party  lines,  or  are  served  by  private  branch  exchange 
switchboards  in  the  buildings  where  they  live  or  have  their  offices. 

Individual  Lines.  —  Telephones  of  this  type  are  for  the  exclusive 
use  of  one  subscriber.  He  is  the  only  person  who  has  a  telephone 
on  that  line,  which  runs  from  his  instrument  directly  to  the  tele- 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE  135 

phone  company's  nearest  central  office.  It  is  listed  in  the  tele- 
phone directory  with  one  number,  as  "  Barclay  1263." 

Party  Lines.  —  These  .serve  from  two  to  four  subscribers,  and 
each  subscriber  has  his  telephone  listed  in  the  directory  with  the 
number  and  letter  designating  his  telephone,  as  "  Barclay  1263-J." 
A  party  line  can  be  used  by  only  one  of  the  subscribers  it  serves 
at  a  time. 

Private  Branch  Exchange  Switchboard  Systems.  —  These  are 
really  miniature  telephone  central  office  systems  placed  on  the 
premises  of  the  subscriber,  and  are  described  below. 

Telephone  Instruments 

Two  kinds  of  telephone  instruments  are  in  general  use  —  those 
which  are  placed  in  convenient  places  on  walls  and  those  that  rest 
upon  desks  or  tables.  For  business  use,  most  people  have  desk 
telephones,  for  the  reason  that  this  type  of  instrument  can  be 
placed  on  one  side  of  the  desk  where  it  will  be  out  of  the  way  of 
the  business  man  when  he  is  writing  or  doing  work,  and  can  still 
be  within  arm's  reach  when  he  wishes  to  make  or  answer  calls. 
This  is  the  type  of  telephone  illustrated  on  page  133.  It  may 
have  either  a  direct  line  to  one  of  the  telephone  company's  central 
offices  or  it  may  be  connected  with  the  private  branch  exchange 
used  in  the  business  office,  which  is  in  turn  connected  with  the 
regular  central  office. 

Private  Branch  Exchange  Switchboards 

These  are  telephone  central  office  systems  placed  on  the  premises 
of  the  subscriber. 

One-operator  Switchboards.  —  Here  you  see  a  small  private 
branch  exchange  switchboard  which  can  be  operated  by  one 
person. 

The  switchboard  is  connected  with  the  nearest  regular  central 
office  by  means  of  one  or  more  trunk  lines.  The  switchboard 
thus  becomes  a  clearing  house  for  calls  between  the  telephones 


136  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

in  the  business  house  it  serves,  for  calls  from  these  telephones  to 
outside  points,  and  for  calls  from  outside  points  to  the  telephones 
in  the  private  branch  exchange  system. 


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Courtesy  of  Ntw  \iirk  Telephone  Company 
Operating  a  Cord  Switchboard 

Monitor  Switchboards  and  Cord  Systems.  —  These  private  ex- 
change systems  range  in  size  from  what  is  known  as  the  "  monitor  " 
switchboard  system,  to  the  big  cord  systems  which  are  installed 
in  stores,  hotels,  apartment  houses,  and  business  buildings.  The 
monitor  switchboard  is  intended  for  the  subscriber  who  needs 
more  service  than  perhaps  one  or  two  telephones  can  give.  It 
can  be  placed  on  a  flat  desk  and  operated  by  the  stenographer. 
The  big  cord  systems  sometimes  serve  a  thousand  or  more  ex- 
tension telephones  and  are  connected  with  regular  telephone 
central  offices  by  means  of  several  trunk  lines. 

The  following  figures  will  show  how  big  a  problem  this  is  in 
four  types  of  buildings  in  New  York  City  :  Wanamaker's  dry-goods 
store  has  a  switchboard  operated  by  nine  telephone  girls  and  it 
serves  419  extensions.  The  Hotel  McAlpin  has  a  switchboard 
serving  1605  extensions,  while  the  Hotel  Commodore  has  a 
switchboard  with  twenty-six  operating  positions  and  serves  2400 


OFFICE    TELEPHONE 


137 


extension  telephones.  The  Consolidated  Gas  Company  uses  a 
private  branch  exchange  system  which  connects  its  branch  offices 
with  the  main  office,  and  this  system  contains  966  extension 
telephones. 

Thus  extension  telephones  are  much  used,  not  only  by  business 
offices,  but  also  in  residences.     Frequently  in  a  business  office, 


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Courtesy  of  New  York  Telephone  Company 
Monitor  Switchboard 


where  there  is  no  private  branch  exchange  system,  there  will  be 
one  or  two  individual  telephone  Hues  and  from  each  an  extension 
line,  so  that  the  office  will  have  either  two  or  four  telephones  so 
located  as  to  eliminate  needless  steps. 


OFFICE   TELEPHONE  139 

Public  Telephones 

Pay  Stations.  —  Public  telephones  are  distributed  throughout 
the  territory  served  by  a  telephone  company,  and  are  located 
wherever  the  convenience  and  service  requirements  of  the  public 
warrant  their  installation.  Some  pubHc  telephones  are  attended 
by  employees  of  the  telephone  company,  in  which  case  a  person 
wishing  to  telephone  gives  the  operator  in  attendance  the  number 
desired  and  the  cost  of  the  call. 

Coin-box  Telephones.  —  The  coin-box  telephone  is  another 
variety  of  public  telephone  that  is  largely  used.  This  instrument 
has  slots  in  the  top  into  which  the  person  making  the  call  first 
drops  five,  ten,  or  twenty-five  cents,  according  to  the  cost  of  the 
call,  thus  automatically  signaling  the  central  office  operator,  who 
asks  for  the  number  desired.  When  the  operator  has  connected 
with  the  telephone  called  for,  she  notifies  the  person  calling.  In 
case  the  number  asked  for  cannot  be  obtained,  the  operator  ma- 
nipulates an  electric  releasing  device,  which  returns  the  money  to 
the  caller. 

Verifying  Monthly  Bills 

The  matter  of  verifying  the  monthly  telephone  bills  is  usually 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  switchboard  operator  or  one  of  the 
clerks  employed  by  the  firm. 

Bills  for  telephone  service  are  rendered  monthly,  in  accordance 
with  the  terms  of  the  contract.  Charges  for  suburban  and  long 
distance  messages  (toll  messages)  appear  on  the  same  bill, 
the  charges  covering  a  period  of  one  month ;  but  in  order  to 
render  bills  on  the  first  of  the  month,  the  period  begins  and 
ends  several  days  before  the  end  of  the  calendar  month. 

Here' are  two  sample  monthly  bills  for  telephone  subscribers. 
The  special  charges  are  itemized  on  a  separate  sheet,  the  total 
placed  on  the  regular  bill.  Of  the  two  examples  of  monthly 
statements,  the  message  rate  statement  is  more  typical  for  New 
York  City  subscribers. 


140 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


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TOLL  SERVICE  STATEMENT. 

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SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Define  the  following :  Party  Line,  Private  Branch  Exchange  Switch- 
board, Extension  Telephone,  Monitor. 

The  firm  by  which  you  are  employed  telephones  daily  to  near-by  towns 
and  to  distant  states.  You  are  to  handle  all  outgoing  and  incoming  calls. 
Describe  briefiy  how  you  would  take  care  of.  all  suburban  and  long  dis- 
tance calls,  in  order  to  check  the  monthly  telephone  bills. 


PART  V 


OFFICE  TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


Section  1     Introduction 

Section  2     Classes  of  Service  —  Telegrams 

Fast  Regular  Telegrams 

Night  Messages 

Day  Letters 

Night  Letters 

Relative  Advantages  of  Different  Classes  of  Service 

Transfer  of  Money  by  Telegraph 

Wireless  Telegraph 

Marine  Service 

Time  Differences 
Section  3     Classes  of  Service  —  Cablegrams 

Regular  Cablegrams 

Deferred  Cablegrams 

Cable  Letters 

Week-end  Cable  Letters 

Transfer  of  Money  by  Cable 

Wireless  Cable 

Time  Differences 

Section  4     Code  Systems 

Public  Code  Systems 
Private  Code  Systems 
Registered  Cable  Addresses 
Reversible  Cable  Addresses 
Translating  Messages 

Section  5     Writing  the  Message 

Composing  the  Message 

Confirming  and  Duplicating  the  Message 

Repeating  the  Message 
Section  6     Sending  the  Message 

Filing  the  Message 

Delivering  the  Message 
141 


142  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Section  7  Paying  for  the  Message 

How  Telegrams  are  Counted  and  Charged  for 
How  Cablegrams  are  Counted  and  Charged  for 


SECTION   1 
INTRODUCTION 

The  wonderful  development  of  foreign  business  in  this  country, 
particularly  with  Europe  and  South  America,  has  made  a  study  of 
the  conditions  under  which  business  by  cable  is  carried  on  a  matter 
of  vital  interest ;  and  the  use  of  the  telegram  as  an  ordinary  means 
of  communication  has  become  so  general  that  the  clerk  through 
wdiose  hands  it  passes  must  have  very  clear  ideas  concerning  its 
possibilities  and  its  limitations.  Let  us  look  at  these  modern 
methods  of  communication. 

Telegrams  are  land  communications  —  messages  sent  by  wire 
within  the  borders  of  a  country. 

Cablegrams  are  communications  sent  by  suhnarine  cable  between 
countries  separated  by  large  bodies  of  water. 

The  telegraph  hues  in  the  United  States  follow  practically 
every  railroad  line,  and  a  railroad  map  is  substantially  a 
telegraph  map  of  the  country.  It  would  not  be  possible  to 
reproduce  such  a  map  here.  The  map  on  the  rear  cover  of  this 
book,  however,  shows  the  Atlantic  cables,  with  their  landing 
places  and  connecting  points  on  the  coasts  of  this  continent, 
and  their  connections  throughout  Europe  and  to  Asia  and 
Africa,  as  well  as  cables  to  the  West  Indies  and  South  America. 

Mail  and  Telephone  versus  Telegrams  and  Cablegrams.  —  The 
mail  is  the  ordinary  means  of  sending  written  communications 
where  speed  is  not  essential.  The  telephone  is  used  for  quick 
communication  within  the  limits  permitted  by  the  cost  of  the 
service. 

Telegrams  and  cablegrams  are  used  instead  of  the  mail  on 
account  of  their  speed  and  because,  even  where  the  mail  might 
serve,  as  far  as  time  is  concerned,  the  telegram  and  the  cable- 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS  AND   CABLEGRAMS  143 

gram  compel  preferred  attention  from  the  addressee.  The  tele- 
gram is  used  for  quick  inland  communication,  and  it  is  used  at 
times  in  preference  to  the  telephone  because  of  its  much  lower 
cost  and  because  it  affords  a  written  record  of  the  transaction. 
The  cablegram  is  used  for  over-seas  communication. 

Liability  of  Companies  for  Errors.  • —  While  the  telegraph  com- 
panies make  every  effort  to  safeguard  the  interests  of  patrons  and 
send  messages  quickly,  it  is  very  important  to  remember  that 
they  are  obliged  by  law  to  send  messages  exactly  as  they  are  re- 
ceived, and  that  their  liability  for  incorrect  transmission  is  ordi- 
narily only  nominal.  Therefore,  while  the  occasional  sender 
of  a  message  may  be  pardoned  for  not  being  familiar  with  the  rules 
of  the  companies,  no  such  excuse  can  be  offered  for  the  business 
man. 

Tariff  or  Rate  Folders  and  Forms.  —  The  rates  charged  for 
messages  of  all  kinds  are  to  be  found  in  tariff  or  rate  folders  issued 
free  of  charge  by  the  telegraph  companies.  All  well-equipped 
business  offices  have  these  folders  on  file. 

Blank  telegraph  and  cable  forms  may  be  obtained  in  quantities 
from  the  various  companies,  and  clerks  should  study  carefully  the 
rules  printed  on  the  reverse  of  these  forms. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Consult  map  entitled  Westerri  Union  Trans- Atlantic  Cables  and  Con- 
nections, and  indicate  the  telegraph  and  cable  connections  used  in  send- 
ing messages  to  the  following  cities : 

Cincinnati,  Ohio,  to  Washington,  D.  C. 
New  York  City  to  Santiago,  Cuba 
Washington,  D.  C,  to  Havana,  Cuba 
Wilmington,  Del.,  to  Hamilton,  Bermuda 
New  York  City  to  Panama 
Montreal,  P.  Q.,  to  Lisbon,  Portugal 
New  York  City  to  Berlin,  Germany 
Boston,  Mass.,  to  Paris,  France 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  to  Charleston,  S.  C. 

State  briefly  the  difference  between  a  telegram  and  a  cablegram. 


144 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


A  Chicago  house  wants  to  consult  its  New  York  City  office  about  three 
business  propositions.  The  first  calls  for  an  answer  in  less  than  an  hour, 
the  second  in  less  than  four  hours,  and  the  third  in  less  than  ten  days. 
What  method  of  communication  would  you  use  in  each  case? 


SECTION  2 

CLASSES   OF   SERVICE  —  TELEGRAMS 

The  sender  of  a  telegram  may  avail  himself  of  four  classes  of 
service,  the  charges  varying  according  to  the  class  of  service  used. 
These  classes  are : 

Fast  Regular  Telegrams  (or  Full-Rate  Messages). 

Night  Messages 

Day  Letters 

Night  Letters  (or  Night  Lettergrams) 

Telegraph  Forms. — The  so-called  universal  blank  illustrated 
on  the  opposite  page  is  now  used  for  all  classes  of  service. 

The  following  are  reproductions  of  the  small  squares  which 
appear  in  the  upper  left-  and  right-hand  corners  of  the  face  of  the 
blank.  In  the  case  of  the  square  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner,  it 
will  be  observed  that  by  placing  an  X  in  the  proper  place,  the 
sender  of  the  message  may  indicate  the  class  of  service  he  desires. 


CLASS  OF  SERVICE  DESIRED  | 

Fast  Day  Message 

Day  Letter 

Night  Message 

Night  Letter 

Patrons  should  mark  an  X  oppo- 
site the  class  of  service  desired; 
OTHERWISE  THE  TELEGRAM 
WILL  BE  TRANSMITTED  AS  A 
FAST   DAY  MESSAGE. 

Receiver's  No. 


Check 


Time  Filed 


Fast  Regular  Telegrams 

These  are  what  are  designated  by  the  telegraph  companies  as 
"  full-rate  "  messages  (i.e.,  the  ordinary  messages  that  most  of  us 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAISIS  145 


,-..- 

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Courtesy  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
Front  of  Form 


ALL  TELEGRAMS  TAKEN  BY  THIS  COMPANY  ABE  SUBJECT  TO  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS-^^  ^ 


CLASSES  OF  SERVICE 


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Courtesy  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
Reverse  of  Form 


146 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


send  and  for  which,  because  they  are  transmitted  immediately, 
we  pay  the  maximum  charge).  Messages  of  this  grade  may  be 
filed  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night. 

Ordinary  language  or  code  language  may  be  used  in  such  mes- 
sages.    (See  page  175.) 

The  rates  for  full-rate  messages  are  on  the  basis  of  a  certain 
charge  for  the  first  ten  words  and  an  additional  rate  for  each 
additional  word  in  excess  of  ten.  The  following  examples  selected 
from  the  rate  book  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
will  show  how  these  rates  vary  for  telegrams  to  different  states 
and,  within  shorter  distances,  to  different  cities  in  the  same 
state. 

From  New  York  City  to 


State 

City 

Day 

Rate» 

State  or 
Country 

City 

Day 

Rate 

Alabama 

Birmingham 

60-4 

Mexico 

Chihuahua 

70-5 

Alabama 

Mobile 

60-4 

Mexico 

City  of  Mexico 

1.75-12 

Alberta 

Edmonton 

1.25-8 

Mexico 

Vera  Cruz 

1.75-12 

Arkansas 

Arkansas  City 

60-4 

Montana 

Butte 

75-5 

British  Columbia 

Vancouver 

1.00-7 

Nevada 

Tonopah 

1.00-7 

California 

Los  Angeles 

1.00-7 

New  .Jersey 

Trenton 

25-2 

California 

San  Francisco 

1.00-7 

New  Mexico 

Albuquerque 

75-5 

Colorado 

Denver 

75-5 

New  York 

Albany 

25-2 

Connecticut 

Danbury 

25-2 

New  York 

Auburn 

35-2 

Connecticut 

Waterbury 

25-2 

New  York 

Lake  Placid 

35-2 

Florida 

Jacksonville 

60-4 

New  York 

West  Point 

25-2 

Florida 

Key  West 

1.00-7 

Nova  Scotia 

HaUfax 

50-3 

Florida 

Miami 

60-4 

Nova  Scotia 

Yarmouth 

50-3 

Illinois 

Chicago 

50-3 

Ontario 

Ottawa 

50-3 

Maine 

Augusta 

40-3 

Ontario 

Toronto 

50-3 

Maine 

Portland 

35-2 

Pennsylvania 

Philadelphia 

25-2 

Manitoba 

Winnipeg 

75-5 

Pennsylvania 

Reading 

25-2 

Massachusetts 

Boston 

30-2 

Quebec 

Montreal 

50-3 

Utah 

Salt  Lake  City 

75-5 

1  In  the  columns  headed  "  Day  Rate,"  the  figures  before  the  hyphen  in- 
dicate rates  for  ten  words  or  less  (address  and  one  signature  free),  and  the 
figures  after  the  hyphen  indicate  the  rates  for  each  word  over  ten. 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS 


147 


The  following  table  shows  the  Western  Union  table  of  tolls  for 
charges  for  Fast  Regular  Telegrams,  computed  for  messages  of 
varying  length. 


Tolls  on  Messages  from  10  tc 

50  Words 

No.  OP 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Rate 

Words 

20-1 

2.5-1 

25-2 

30-2 

35-2 

40-3 

50-3 

60-4 

75-5 

1.00-7 

10 

$0.20 

$0.25 

$0.25 

.$0.30 

$0.35 

$0.40 

$0.50 

$0.60 

$0.75 

$1.00 

11 

.21 

.26 

.27 

.32 

.37 

.43 

.53 

.64 

.80 

1.07 

12 

.22 

.27 

.29 

.34 

.39 

.46 

.56 

.68 

.85 

1.14 

13 

.23 

.28 

.31 

.36 

.41 

.49 

.59 

.72 

.90 

1.21 

14 

.24 

.29 

.33 

.38 

.43 

.52 

.62 

.76 

.95 

1.28 

15 

.25 

.30 

.35 

.40 

.45 

.55 

.65 

.80 

1.00 

1.35 

16 

.26 

.31 

.37 

.42 

.47 

.58 

.68 

.84 

1.05 

1.42 

17 

.27 

.32 

.39 

.44 

.49 

.61 

.71 

.88 

1.10 

1.49 

18 

.28 

.33 

.41 

.46 

-    .51 

.64 

.74 

.92 

1.15 

1.56 

19 

.29 

.34 

.43 

.48 

.53 

.67 

.77 

.96 

1.20 

1.63 

20 

.30 

.35 

.45 

.50 

.55 

.70 

.80 

1.00 

1.25 

1.70 

21 

.31 

.36 

.47 

.52 

.57 

.73 

.83 

1.04 

1.30 

1.77 

22 

.32 

.37 

.49 

.54 

.59 

.76 

.86 

1.08 

1.35 

1.84 

23 

.33 

.38 

.51 

.56 

.61 

.79 

.89 

1.12 

1.40 

1.91 

24 

.34 

.39 

.53 

.58 

.63 

.82 

.92 

1.16 

1.45 

1.98 

25 

.35 

.40 

.55 

.60 

.65 

.85 

.95 

1.20 

1.50 

2.05 

26 

.36 

.41 

.57 

.62 

.67 

.88 

.98 

1.24 

1.55 

2.12 

27 

.37 

.42 

.59 

.64 

.69 

.91 

1.01 

1.28 

1.60 

2.19 

28 

.38 

.43 

.61 

.66 

.71 

.94 

1.04 

1.32 

1.65 

2.26 

29 

.39 

.44 

.63 

.68 

.73 

.97 

1.07 

1.36 

1.70 

2.33 

30 

.40 

.45 

.65 

.70 

.75 

1.00 

1.10 

1.40 

1.75 

2.40 

31 

.41 

.46 

.67 

.72 

.77 

1.03 

1.13 

1.44 

1.80 

2.47 

32 

.42 

.47 

.69 

.74 

.79 

1.06 

1.16 

1.48 

1.85 

2.54 

33 

.43 

.48 

.71 

.76 

.81 

1.09 

1.19 

1.52 

1.90 

2.61 

34 

.44 

.49 

.73 

.78 

.83 

1.12 

1.22 

1.56 

1.95 

2.68 

35 

.45 

.50 

.75 

.80 

.85 

1.15 

1.25 

1.60 

2.00 

2.75 

36 

.46 

.51 

.77 

.82 

.87 

1.18 

1.28 

1.64 

2.05 

2.82 

37 

.47 

•      .52 

.79 

.84 

.89 

1.21 

1.31 

1.68 

2.10 

2.89 

38 

.48 

.53 

.81 

.86 

.91 

1.24 

1.34 

1.72 

2.15 

2.96 

39 

.49 

.54 

.83 

.88 

.93 

1.27 

1.37 

1.76 

2.20 

3.03 

40 

.50 

.55 

.85 

.90 

.95 

1.30 

1.40 

1.80 

2.25 

3.10 

41 

.51 

.56 

.87 

.92 

.97 

1.33 

1.43 

1.84 

2.30 

3.17 

42 

.52 

.57 

.89 

.94 

.99 

1.36 

1.46 

1.88 

2.35 

3.24 

43 

.53 

.58 

.91 

.96 

1.01 

1.39 

1.49 

1.92 

2.40 

3.31 

44 

.54 

.59 

.93 

.98 

1.03 

1.42 

1.52 

1.96 

2.45 

3.38 

45 

.55 

.60 

.95 

1.00 

1.05 

1.45 

1.55 

2.00 

2.50 

3.45 

46 

.56 

.61 

.97 

1.02 

1.07 

1.48 

1.58 

2.04 

2.55 

3.52 

47 

.57 

.62 

.99 

1.04 

1.09 

1.51 

1.61 

2.08 

2.60 

3.59 

48 

.58 

.63 

1.01 

1.06 

1.11 

1.54 

1.64 

2.12 

2.65 

3.66 

49 

.59 

.64 

1.03 

1.08 

1.13 

1.57 

1.67 

2.16 

2.70 

3.73 

50 

.60 

.65 

1.05 

1.10 

1.15 

1.60 

1.70 

2.20 

2.75 

3.80 

148 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Night  Messages 

Messages  of  this  type  are  accepted  at  telegraph  offices  at  any- 
time up  to  two  o'clock  A.M.  Although  these  messages  may  be 
received  by  the  telegraph  companies  at  any  time  during  the  day 
or  the  evening,  it  is  distinctly  understood  that,  because  of  the 
lower  rates  charged,  they  will  be  delivered  not  earlier  than  the 
morning  of  the  next  ensuing  business  day.  This  type  of  telegram 
appeals  to  the  business  man  who,  finding  the  mail  too  slow  or 
the  telephone  too  expensive  for  his  purpose,  may  want  to  com- 
municate with  some  one  in  a  distant  city.  Code  language  may  be 
used  in  night  messages. 

The  following  table  shows  the  Night  Message  rates  corresponding 
to  the  respective  rates  for  full-rate  messages  between  the  same 
points. 


Where  the  Full 
Rate  is 

The  Night  Message 
Rate  is 

Where  the  Full 
Rate  is 

The  Night  Message 
Rate  is 

25-2 
30-2 
35-2 
40-3 

25-1 
25-1 
25-1 
30-2 

50-3 

60-4 

75-5 

1.00-7 

40-3 

50-3 

60-4 

1.00-7 

When  the  message  exceeds  13  or  14  words,  it  is  cheaper  to  use 
the  Night  Letter.  (See  page  149.)  However,  in  a  Night  Letter 
code  language  is  not  permitted,  while  code  language  is  allowed  in 
a  Night  Message.  Therefore,  when  it  is  necessary  to  employ 
code  language,  the  Night  Message  must  be  used  —  not  the  Night 
Letter. 

Day  Letters 

This  is  a  cheaper  class  of  service  than  the  Fast  Regular  Telegram 
and  is  referred  to  as  deferred  day  service.  If  care  is  taken  to 
file  Day  Letters  with  the  telegraph  companies,  so  that  there  will 
remain  sufficient  time  to  deliver  them  during  regular  office  hours 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  149 

on  the  day  of  their  date,  they  will  be  delivered  the  same  day,  sub- 
ject to  the  prior  transmission  of  Fast  Regular  Telegrams.  On 
account  of  the  cheapness  of  the  rate,  code  language  is  not  per- 
missible. 

The  rates  for  Day  Letters  are  as  follows :  For  a  Day  Letter  of 
50  words  or  less,  one  and  a  half  times  the  rate  for  a  10-word 
full-paid  message ;  for  every  additional  10  words  or  fraction 
thereof  in  a  Day  Letter,  one  fifth  of  the  charge  for  the  original 
50  words. 

For  example  :  if  the  rate  for  a  full-paid  message  is  50  cents  for 
10  words,  the  rate  for  a  Day  Letter  of  50  words  or  less  is  75  cents, 
and  the  rate  for  every  10  words  or  fraction  thereof  beyond  the 
original  50  words  is  15  cents. 

Night  Letters   {or  Night  Lettergrams) 

This  is  the  cheapest  class  of  service  for  messages  in  excess  of 
13  or  14  words.  Night  Letters  will  be  accepted  at  any  time  before 
2  A.M.  and  will  be  delivered  the  following  morning.  Code  language 
is  not  permitted.  The  telegraph  company  may,  if  it  chooses 
mail  the  message  at  destination  to  the  addressee,  but,  as  a  rule, 
actual  deliveries  of  Night  Letters  are  made  as  in  the  case  of 
other  telegrams,  and  the  privilege  of  mailing  them  to  the  home 
or  office  of  the  addressee  is  resorted  to  only  under  extraordinary 
conditions. 

Night  Letters  are  much  used  by  many  business  houses.  For 
example,  a  San  Francisco  house  may  decide  at  about  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  that  it  wants  a  letter  to  reach  its  Denver  office  by 
nine  the  next  morning.     The  Night  Letter  solves  the  problem. 

The  rate  for  a  Night  Letter  of  50  words  or  less  is  the  same  as 
the  rate  for  a  10-word  full-paid  message ;  for  each  additional  10 
words  or  fraction  thereof  in  the  Night  Letter,  a  charge  of  one 
fifth  the  rate  for  the  original  50  words  is  made. 

The  following  is  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company's  table 
of  tolls  for  Night  Letters  and  Day  Letters, 


150  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Tolls  on  Night  Letters  and  Day  Letters  of  from  1  to  200  Words 


When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS  25   AND   2 

When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS  30   AND   2 

When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS  35   AND   2 

When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS  40   AND   3 

Wo 

RDS 

Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Day 

Letter 
Rate  is 

Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Day 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Day 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 

Day 
Letter 
Rate  is 

1  to    50 

$0.25 

$0.38 

$0.30 

$0.45 

$0.35 

$0.53 

$0.40 

$0.60 

51  ' 

'     60 

.30 

.45 

.36 

.54 

.42 

.63 

.48 

.72 

61  ' 

'     70 

.35 

.53 

.42 

.63 

.49 

.74 

.56 

.84 

71  ' 

'     80 

.40 

.60 

.48 

.72 

.56 

.84 

.64 

.96 

81  ' 

'     90 

.45 

.68 

.54 

.81 

.63 

.95 

.72 

1.08 

91  ' 

'  100 

.50 

.75 

.60 

.90 

.70 

1.05 

.80 

1.20 

101  ' 

'  110 

.55 

.83 

.66 

.99 

.77 

1.16 

.88 

1.32 

111  ' 

'   120 

.60 

.90 

.72 

1.08 

.84 

1.26 

.96 

1.44 

121  ' 

'   130 

.65 

.98 

.78 

1.17 

.91 

1.37 

1.04 

1.56 

131  ' 

'   140 

.70 

1.05 

.84 

1.26 

.98 

1.47 

1.12 

1.68 

141  ' 

'  150 

.75 

1.13 

.90 

1.35 

1.05 

1.58 

1.20 

1.80 

151  ' 

'   160 

.80 

1.20 

.96 

1.44 

1.12 

1.68 

1.28 

1.92 

161  ' 

'   170 

.85 

1.28 

1.02 

1.53 

1.19 

1.79 

1.36 

2.04 

171  ' 

'  180 

.90 

1.35 

1.08 

1.62 

1.26 

1.89 

1.44 

2.16 

181  ' 

'  190 

.95 

1.43 

1.14 

1.71 

1.33 

2.00 

1.52 

2.28 

191  ' 

'  200 

1.00 

1.50 

1.20 

1.80 

1.40 

2.10 

1.60 

2.40 

Words 


1  to    50 


51 

61 

71 

81 

91 

101 

111 

121 

131 

141 

151 

161 

171 

181 

191 


60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

110 

120 

130 

140 

150 

160 

170 

180 

190 

200 


When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS   50  AND   3 


Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 


$0.50 

.60 

.70 

.80 

.90 

1.00 

1.10 

1.20 

1.30 

1.40 

1.50 

1.60 

1.70 

1.80 

1.90 

2.00 


Day 
Letter 
Rate  is 


50.75 
.90 
1.05 
1.20 
1.35 
1.50 
1.65 
1.80 
1.95 
2.10 
2.25 
2.40 
2.55 
2.70 
2.85 
3.00 


When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS   60   AND   4 


Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 


$0.60 
.72 
.84 
.96 
1.08 
1.20 
1.32 
1.44 
1.56 
1.68 
1.80 
1.92 
2.04 
2.16 
2.28 
2.40 


Day 

Letter 
Rate  is 


$0.90 
1.08 
1.26 
1.44 
1.62 
1.80 
1.98 
2.10 
2.34 
2.52 
2.70 
2.88 
3.06 
3.24 
3.42 
3.60 


When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS   75   AND    5 


When  Day 
Message  Rate 

IS   1.00   AND   7 


Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 


S0.75 
.90 
1.05 
1.20 
1.35 
1.50 
1.65 
1.80 
1.95 
2.10 
2.25 
2.40 
2.55 
2.70 
2.85 
3.00 


Day 

Letter 
Rate  is 


$1.13 
1.35 
1.58 
1.80 
2.03 
2.25 
2.48 
2.70 
2.93 
3.15 
3.38 
3.60 
3.83 
4.05 
4.28 
4.50 


Night 
Letter 
Rate  is 


$1.00 
1.20 
1.40 
1.60 
1.80 
2.00 
2.20 
2.40 
2.60 
2.80 
3.00 
3.20 
3.40 

3.eo 

3.80 
4.00 


Day 

Letter 
Rate  is 


$1.50 
1.80 
2.10 
2.40 
2.70 
3.00 
3.30 
3.60 
3.90 
4.20 
4.50 
4.80 
5.10 
5.40 
5.70 
6.00 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS   AND   CABLEGRAMS  151 

Relative  Advantages  of  Different  Classes  of  Service 

The  Night  Message,  the  Day  Letter,  and  the  Night  Letter  being 
deferred  services,  the  full-rate  service  (Fast  Regular  Telegram) 
should  be  used  whenever  immediate  delivery  is  essential. 

The  cost  of  a  Day  Letter  (up  to  50  words)  is,  generally  speaking, 
equivalent  to  the  cost  of  a  17-word  full-rate  message.  The  exact 
relation  is  shown  by  the  foregoing  tables.  The  Day  Letter  serv- 
ice can,  therefore,  be  used  to  advantage  whenever  immediate 
delivery  is  not  important  and  it  is  desired  that  delivery  be  made 
the  same  day,  if  the  message  contains  18  words  or  more.  If  the 
message  contains  17  words  or  less,  it  will  be  cheaper  to  send  it  as 
a  full-rate  telegram. 

Where  there  is  sufficient  leeway  in  time  so  that  the  message 
need  not  be  delivered  until  the  next  day,  the  Night  Message  or 
Night  Letter  service  should  be  used.  As  explained  above,  up  to 
13  or  14  words  the  Night  Message  is  the  cheaper  and  it  is  the  only 
one  of  the  two  services  in  which  code  language  is  permitted. 

Transfer  of  Money  by  Telegraph 

Orders,  both  domestic  and  foreign,  are  accepted  by  the  tele- 
graph companies  for  the  immediate  transfer  of  money  by  telegraph 
and  cable.  This  class  of  service  is  very  desirable  where  dues  and 
obligations  require  prompt  attention.  Money  may  be  telegraphed 
to  banks  to  meet  maturing  obligations ;  to  fire  and  life  insurance 
companies  for  premiums ;  to  travelers  and  traveling  salesmen ;  to 
guarantee  purchases ;  for  railroad  and  steamship  tickets ;  for 
insertion  of  advertisements  and  notices  in  newspapers ;  for  pay- 
ment of  taxes  and  assessments ;  —  indeed,  for  all  cases  in  which 
the  quick  transfer  of  money  may  be  required. 

The  rates  are  reasonable.  For  transfer  of  money  by  telegraph 
to  its  offices  in  the  United  States,  the  Western  Union  rates  are  as 
follows  : 

First :  For  $25.00  or  less 25c. 

25.01  up  to  $50.00 35c. 

50.01  up  to    75.00      ......  60c. 

75.01  up  to  100.00 85c. 


152 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


For  amounts  above  $100.00  add  (to  the  $100.00  rate)  25c.  per  hun- 
dred (or  any  part  of  $100.00)  up  to  $3,000.00. 

For  amounts  above  $3,000.00  add  (to  the  $3,000.00  rate)  20c.  per 
hundred  (or  any  part  of  $100.00). 

Second :  To  the  above  charges  are  to  be  added  the  tolls  for  a  fifteen- 
word  message  from  the  office  of  deposit  to  the  office  of  payment. 

Wireless  Telegraph 

Prepaid  messages  may  be  accepted  for  transmission  by  wireless 
telegraph  or  wireless  cable  to  nearly  all  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
Ocean  steamships  and  boats  on  the  Great  Lakes  and  Long  Island 
Sound.  Lists  of  boats  equipped  with  wireless  apparatus  and  rates 
for  this  class  of  service  may  be  obtained  at  the  telegraph  offices. 

Marine  Service 

The  Western  Union  maintains  Signal  Stations  at  Fire  Island, 
Atlantic  Highlands,  and  Sandy  Hook,  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  near 
the  entrance  to  New  York  Harbor,  and  also  at  Quarantine,  within 


Courtesy  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
Front  of  Form 


OFFICE  TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


153 


the  entrance,  for  the  purpose  of  reporting  the  sighting  and  arrival 
of  steamers  from  foreign  ports.  These  stations  are  always  open. 
A  report  of  the  sighting  of  an  inbound  steamer  will  be  sent  to  any 
address  in  Greater  New  York,  Hoboken,  and  Jersey  City,  on  pay- 
ment of  $1 ;  and  to  other  places  for  $1, 
plus  the  toll  on  a  ten-word  message. 
In  New  York  City  and  vicinity,  this 
notice  is  received  in  time  to  allow  friends 
to  be  at  the  dock  when  the  steamer 
arrives.  For  inland  places,  the  notice 
conveys  the  intelligence,  of  the  near 
approach  of  home-coming  steamers. 
Orders  for  this  service  may  be  filed  at 
any  office  of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company.  There  has 
been  developed  in  recent  years  a  valuable  wireless  service  on  our 
Pacific  coast,  and  messages  may,  for  example,  be  sent  from  San 
Francisco  to  Honolulu,  China,  Japan,  and  other  places. 


CLASS  OF  SERVICE   DESIRED 

Full  Rate  Marconigram 

Half  Rate   Marconigram 

Wireless  Lettergram 

Week  End  Lettergram 

Patrons  should  mark  an   X  opposite 
Ihe  class  of  service  desired;   other- 
wise FULL  RATES  will  be  charged. 
SEE  BACK  OF  THIS  BLANK 

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Courtesy  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
Reverse  of  Form 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS  AND   CABLEGRAMS  155 

Time  Differences 

Full-rate  Messages  and  Day  Letters  show  the  time  when  they 
were  filed  by  the  sender  as  well  as  the  tune  of  receipt  at  destina- 
tion. The  map  illustrated  here  shows  the  lines  of  division  between 
the  time  zones.  Eastern  time  is  one  hour  later  than  Central  time, 
Central  time  is  one  hour  later  than  Mountain  time,  and  Moun- 
tain time  is  one  hour  later  than  Pacific  time.  When  it  is  6  o'clock 
in  New  York,  it  is  3  o'clock  in  San  Francisco.  A  message  filed  at 
San  Francisco  at  3  p.m.  and  received  at  New  York  at  6 :  20  p.m., 
shows  a  difference  in  time  of  20  minutes. 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Explain  briefly  the  difference  between  a  Fast  Regular  Telegram  and  a 
Day  Letter. 

Explain  briefly  the  difference  between  a  Night  Message  and  a  Night 
Letter. 

State  the  charge  in  each  ease  for  sending  the  following  Fast  Regular 
Telegrams  from  New  York  City  : 

33-word  message  to  Miami,  Fla. 
33- word  message  to  Key  West,  Fla. 
16-word  message  to  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 
27-word  message  to  Portland,  Me. 
30-word  message  to  Chicago,  111. 
16-word  message  to  Vera  Cruz,  Mex. 
16-word  message  to  Chihuahua,  Mex. 

Where  the  Day  ]\Iessage  rate  is  "35c.  and  2e."  give  the  Night  Letter 
and  Day  Letter  rates  for  telegrams  averaging  from  61  to  70  words. 

Where  the  Day  Message  rate  is  "$1  and  7c  "  give  the  Night  Letter 
and  Day  Letter  rates  for  telegrams  averaging  from  1  to  50  words. 

Compare  a  postal  money  order,  an  express  money  order,  and  a  trans- 
fer of  money  by  telegraph  as  to  safety,  speed,  and  expense. 

When  it  is  11 :  45  p.m.  at  Denver,  what  time  is  it  at  San  Francisco, 
Butte,  Minneapolis,  Kansas  City,  New  Orleans,  Louisville,  and  Phila- 
delphia ? 

When  would  you  send  a  Night  Letter  in  preference  to  a  Night  IMes- 
sage? 


156  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

SECTION    3 

CLASSES   OF   SERVICE  —  CABLEGRAMS 

The  sender  of  the  cablegram  may  avail  himself  of  four  classes  of 
service,  the  nature  and  urgency  of  the  communication  determining 
which  class  is  used.     These  classes  are  : 

Regular  Cablegrams 
Deferred  Cablegrams 
Cable  Letters 
Week-end  Cable  Letters 

Cable  Forms.  —  The  form  illustrated  is  the  universal  blank 
used  for  all  classes  of  service. 

Here  is  a  reproduction  of  the  small 
square  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of 
the  cable  form,  showing  how  the  class 
of  service  desired  is  to  be  indicated. 


CLASS  OF  SERVICE    DESIRED 

Full  Rate 

Half  Rate   Deferred 

Cable  Letter 

Week  End  Letter 

Patrons  should  mark  an    X  cpposita 
Ifie  class  of  service  desired:  OTHER- 
WISE THE  CABLEGRAM  WILL  BE 
TRANSMITTED  AT  FULL  RATES. 

Regular  Cablegrams 

For  messages  of  an  urgent  character, 
this  full-rate  service  should  be  employed. 
Messages  may  be  written  in  plain,  code,  or  cipher  language,  or 
combinations  of  the  three.     (See  page  175.) 

The  following  list  gives  some  idea  of  the  rates  per  word  from  New 
York  City  to : 

Per  Word 

Argentine,  Buenos  Aires 65 

Belgium,  all  cities 25 

Brazil,  Pernambuco  (via  Azores) 70 

Chili,  Valparaiso 65 

China,  Hong  Kong  (via  San  Francisco) 1.22 

China,  Hong  Kong  (via  Azores) 1.60 

Cuba,  Havana 15 

Egypt,  Alexandria 50 

France,  all  cities 25 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  157 


,~r^ 

»-^ 

WEST^^  UNION 

_cabKiw^ 

■"^ 

. — 

'-~ 

SSJ^f^-^iS 

"—" ■»* 

Scad  ibc  foIto^iM  C«fcl>ln«.  »bi«ci  «  ih.  ir.«f 

Front  of  Form 


ALL  MESSAGES  TAKEN  BY  THIS  COMPANV  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  THE  FOLLOWING  TERMS: 


CLASSES  OF  SERVICE 


Courtesy  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
Reverse  of  Form 


158  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Per  Word 

Germany,  all  cities 25 

Great  Britain,  all  cities 25 

Holland,  all  cities 25 

Ireland,  all  cities 25 

Peru,  Lima 65 

Porto  Rico,  San  Juan  and  Ponce 50 

West  Africa,  Ivory  Coast  —  Grand  Bassam  (via  Cadiz)  .     1.05 

Deferred  Cablegrams 

This  class  of  service  is  provided  for  messages  less  urgent  in 
character,  and  it  is  popular  with  people  whose  cable  correspondence 
does  not  warrant  the  use  of  codes,  and  who  prefer  to  pay  for  more 
words  at  reduced  rates.  While  code  words  are  not  permissible, 
code  addresses  may  be  employed.  These  messages  are  subject  to 
transmission  at  the  convenience  of  the  company,  when  the  cables 
are  free  of  full-paid  traffic. 

The  rates  are  very  reasonable.  They  are  generally  one  half  the 
full  rate,  except  to  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  to  which  they  are 
3  cents  or  3|  cents  less  than  half  the  full  rate,  according  to  the 
zone  in  the  United  States  from  which  communication  is  made. 

Cable  Letters 

For  business  or  social  communications  of  a  still  less  urgent 
character,  Cable  Letters  are  available.  This  grade  of  service  is 
made  possible  through  the  use  of  cable  facilities  at  times  when 
they  would  otherwise  be  idle.  Messages  are  delivered  the  day 
after  they  are  written,  and  at  a  trifling  expense  avoid  the  delay 
of  the  over-seas  mails.  These  messages  must  be  written  in  the 
plain  language  either  of  the  country  of  origin  or  of  the  country 
of  destination  {i.e.,  the  country  from  which  the  cable  was  sent  or 
that  for  which  it  is  intended),  but  code  addresses  may  be  em- 
ployed.    (See  page  175.) 

Unlike  the  Regular  and  Deferred  Cablegrams,  which  are  on  a 
word  basis,  Cable  Letter  tolls  are  based  on  an  initial  minimum 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS  AND   CABLEGRAMS 


159 


rate  of  75  c.  for  12  words,  plus  a  minimum  charge  of  5  c.  for  each 
excess  word.     The  following  table  shows  in  detail  varying  rates. 

Table  of  Cable  Letter  Tolls  to  Londox  or  Liverpool  at  Varying 

Rates 


.76 

1.00 

1.05 

1.15 

1.25 

1.35 

1.50 

1.75 

1  to  12  words 

.75 

1.00 

1.05 

1.15 

1.25 

1.35 

1.50 

1.75 

13  words 

.80 

1.05 

1.10 

1.20 

1.30 

1.40 

1.55 

1.80 

14  words 

.85 

1.10 

1.15 

1.25 

1.35 

1.45 

1.60 

1.85 

15  words 

.90 

1.15 

1.20 

1.30 

1.40 

1.50 

1.65 

1.90 

16  words 

.95 

1.20 

1.25 

1.35 

1.45 

1.55 

1.70 

1.95 

17  words 

1.00 

1.25 

1.30 

1.40 

1.50 

1.60 

1.75 

2.00 

18  words 

1.05 

1.30 

1.35 

1.45 

1.55 

1.65 

1.80 

2.05 

19  words 

1.10 

1.35 

1.40 

1.50 

1.60 

1.70 

1.85 

2.10 

20  words 

1.15 

1.40 

1.45 

1.55 

1.65 

1.75 

1.90 

2.15 

21  words 

1.20 

1.45 

1.50 

1.60 

1.70 

1.80 

1.95 

2.20 

22  words 

1.25 

1.50 

1.55 

1.65 

1.75 

1.85 

2.00 

2.25 

23  words 

1.30 

1.55 

1.60 

1.70 

1.80 

1.90 

2.05 

2.30 

24  words 

1.35 

1.60 

1.65 

1.75 

1.85 

1.95 

2.10 

2.35 

25  words 

1.40 

1.65 

1.70 

1.80 

1.90 

2.00 

2.15 

2.40 

26  words 

1.45 

1.70 

1.75 

1.85 

1.95 

2.05 

2.20 

2.45 

27  words 

1.50 

1.75 

1.80 

1.90 

2.00 

2.10 

2.25 

2.50 

28  words 

1.55 

1.80 

1.85 

1.95 

2.05 

2.15 

2.30 

2.55 

29  words 

1.60 

1.85 

1.90 

2.00 

2.10 

2.20 

2.35 

2.60 

30  words 

1.65 

1.90 

1.95 

2.05 

2.15 

2.25 

2.40 

2.65 

31  words 

1.70 

1.95 

2.00 

2.10 

2.20 

2.30 

2.45 

2.70 

32  words 

1.75 

2.00 

2.05 

2.15 

2.25 

2.35 

2.50 

2.75 

33  words 

1.80 

2.05 

2.10 

2.20 

2.30 

2.40 

2.55 

2.80 

34  words 

1.85 

2.10 

2.15 

2.25 

2.35 

2.45 

2.60 

2.85 

35  words 

1.90 

2.15 

2.20 

2..30 

2.40 

2.50 

2.65 

2.90 

36  words 

1.95 

2.20 

2.25 

2.35 

2.45 

2.55 

2.70 

2.95 

37  words 

2.00 

2.25 

2.30 

2.40 

2.50 

2.60 

2.75 

3.00 

38  words 

2.05 

2.30 

2.35 

2.45 

2.55 

2.65 

2.80 

3.05 

Week-end  Cable  Letters 

Messages  of  this  class,  sent  as  late  as  midnight  on  Saturday,  are 
deUvered  at  the  opening  of  business  on  Monday  morning  in  the 
case  of  European  dehvery  and  on  Tuesdaj'  morning  in  the  case 


160 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Table  of  Week-end  Cable  Letter  Tolls  to  London  or  Liver- 
pool AT  Varying  Rates 


1.16 

1.40 

1.45 

1.65 

1.65 

1.75 

1.90 

2.16 

1  to  24  words 

1.15 

1.40 

1.45 

1.55 

1.65 

1.75 

1.90 

2.15 

25  words 

1.20 

1.45 

1.50 

1.60 

1.70 

1.80 

1.95 

2.20 

26  words 

1.25 

1.50 

1.55 

1.65 

1.75 

1.85 

2.00 

2.25 

27  words 

1.30 

1.55 

1.60 

1.70 

1.80 

1.90 

2.05 

2.30 

28  words 

1.35 

1.60 

1.65 

1.75 

1.85 

1.95 

2.10 

2.35 

29  words 

1.40 

1.65 

1.70 

1.80 

1.90 

2.00 

2.15 

2.40 

30  words 

1.45 

1.70 

1.75 

1.85 

1.95 

2.05 

2.20 

2.45 

31  words 

1.50 

1.75 

1.80 

1.90 

2.00 

2.10 

2.25 

2.50 

32  words 

1.55 

1.80 

1.85 

1.95 

2.05 

2.15 

2.30 

2.55 

33  words 

1.60 

1.85 

1.90 

2.00 

2.10 

2.20 

2.35 

2.60 

34  words 

1.65 

1.90 

1.95 

2.05 

2.15 

2.25 

2.40 

2.65 

35  words 

1.70 

1.95 

2.00 

2.10 

2.20 

2.30 

2.45 

2.70 

36  words 

1.75 

2.00 

2.05 

2.15 

2.25 

2.35 

2.50 

2.75 

37  words 

1.80 

2.05 

2.10 

2.20 

2.30 

2.40 

2.55 

2.80 

38  words 

1.85 

2.10 

2.15 

2.25 

2.35 

2.45 

2.60 

2.85 

39  words 

1.90 

2.15 

2.20 

2.30 

2.40 

2.50 

2.65 

2.90 

40  words 

1.95 

2.20 

2.25 

2.35 

2.45 

2.55 

2.70 

2.95 

41  words 

2.00 

2.25 

2.30 

2.40 

2.50 

2.60 

2.75 

3.00 

42  words 

2.05 

2.30 

2.35 

2.45 

2.55 

2.65 

2.80 

3.05 

43  words 

2.10 

2.35 

2.40 

2.50 

2.60 

2.70 

2.85 

3.10 

44  words 

2.15 

2.40 

2.45 

2.55 

2.65 

2.75 

2.90 

3.15 

45  words 

2.20 

2.45 

2.50 

2.60 

2.70 

2.80 

2.95 

3.20 

46  words 

2.25 

2.50 

2.55 

2.65 

2.75 

2.85 

3.00 

3.25 

47  words 

2.30 

2.55 

2.60 

2.70 

2.80 

2.90 

3.05 

3.30 

48  words 

2.35 

2.60 

2.65 

2.75 

2.85 

2.95 

3.10 

3.35 

49  words 

2.40 

2.65 

2.70 

2.80 

2.90 

3.00 

3.15 

3.40 

50  words 

2.45 

2.70 

2.75 

2.85 

2.95 

3.05 

3.20 

3.45 

51  words 

2.50 

2.75 

2.80 

2.90 

3.00 

3.10 

3.25 

3.50 

of  South  American  delivery.  The  Week-end  Cable  Letter  is  one  of 
the  important  methods  of  communication  used  by  banking  and 
other  types  of  financial  institutions  in  deahng  with  their  foreign 
branches.  It  serves  the  purpose  of  acquainting  the  foreign  branch 
with  the  business  of  the  week  to  its  close  on  Saturday.     This 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS  AND   CABLEGRAMS  161 

method  quickens  commimieation  and  thereby  promotes  business. 
Similar  reports  sent  by  mail  would  be  received  at  least  a  week 
later.  Cable  and  Week-end  Cable  Letters  are  transmitted  during 
the  long  quiet  periods  on  the  cables,  which  are  created  by  the  time- 
differences  of  the  two  hemispheres,  and  they  are  made  possible 
at  the  rates  quoted  below  only  through  this  utilization  of  other- 
wise idle  facilities.  They  must  be  written  in  plain  language  of 
the  country  of  origin  or  of  destination,  but  code  addresses  may  be 
employed. 

The  rates  are  based  on  a  minimum  charge  of  $1.15  for  the  first 
24  words,  plus  5  cents  for  each  additional  word.  The  table  on 
page  160  shows  in  detail  varying  rates. 


Transfer  of  Money  by  Cable 

As  in  the  case  of  telegraphic  service,  money  may  likewise  be 
transferred  by  cable.  It  is  subject  to  the  same  general  rules  as 
telegraphic  transfers. 

For  rates  and  conditions  appHcable  to  the  transfer  of  money  to 
foreign  countries,  application  must  be  made  to  the  local  offices  of 
the  companies. 

Wireless  Cable 

As  messages  of  this  class  were  touched  upon  briefly  in  the  para- 
graph on  Wireless  Telegraph  (page  152),  no  further  discussion  is 
necessary  here. 

Time  Differences 

The  time  when  a  cable  sent  from  a  given  point  mil  reach  its 
destination  is  a  matter  of  great  importance  from  the  business  stand- 
point. The  follo-^dng  time  chart,  giving  some  of  the  principal  cities 
of  the  world,  shows  the  differences  in  time  between  those  cities 
and  twelve  o'clock  noon  standard  Eastern  time. 


162 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Official  Time  at  Following  Places  Correspondinc  to  12  o'clock  Noon 
Standard  Eastern  Time 


Adelaide  . 

2:30a.m.i 

Fiji  Islands 

4:54  A.M.i 

Perth      . 

.    1 :  00  A.M.I 

Alexandria 

7:00  P.M. 

Gibraltar 

5:00  P.M. 

Petrograd 

.    7:01  P.M. 

Algiers     . 

5:00  P.M. 

Glasgow 

5:00  p.m. 

Port  Said 

.    7:00  p.m. 

Amsterdam 

5:20  P.M. 

Guam 

2:30  a. M.i 

Prague    . 

.    6:00  p.m. 

Antwerp 

5:00  P.M. 

Halifax  . 

1:00  P.M. 

Quito 

.  11:46  A.M. 

Astrakhan 

7:01  P.M. 

Hamburg 

6:00  P.M.2 

Rio  de  Janeiro      2: 00  p.m. 

Athens     .     . 

6:35  P.M. 

Havana  . 

11:31  A.M. 

Rome 

.    6:00p.m.5 

Azores 

3:00  P.M. 

Hongkong 

1:00  A.M.' 

Saigon     . 

.12:07  A.M.I 

Batavia  . 

12:19  A.M.i 

Honolulu 

6:30  A.M. 

St.  John,  N 

B.     1:00  P.M. 

Belgrade . 

6:00  P.M. 

Johannesburg     7:00  p.m. 

St.  John's,  N.  F.  1:29  p.m. 

Berlin 

6:00  P.M.- 

Kingston 

12:00  N. 

San  Jose,  C 

R.  11:24  A.M. 

Berne 

6:00  P.M. 

Lima .     . 

12:00  N. 

San  Juan,  P.  R.  1 :  GO  p.m. 

Bogota    .     . 

12:03  P.M. 

Lisbon    . 

5:00  P.M. 

San  Salvador  .  11:03  a.m. 

Bombay  . 

10:30  P.M. 

Liverpool 

5:00  p.M.^ 

Santiago,  Chili  12:00  N. 

Bremen   . 

6:00  P.M. 

London  . 

5:00  p.M.^ 

Shanghai 

.     1:00  A.M.I 

Brisbane . 

3:00  a.m.' 

Luxembourg       6:00  p.m. 

Singapore 

.  12:00  M. 

Brussels  . 

5:00  P.M. 

Madrid 

5:00  P.M. 

Smyrna  . 

.    7:00  P.M. 

Budapest 

6:00  P.M. 

Manila   . 

1:00  A.M.' 

Stockholm 

.    6:00  p.m. 

Buenos  Aire 

s     12:43  P.M. 

Marseilles 

5:00  P.M. 

Suez  .     . 

.    7:00  p.m. 

Bukarest 

7:00  P.M. 

Martinique 

1:00  P.M. 

Sydney  . 

.    3:00  A.M.I 

Cairo  .     . 

7:00  P.M. 

Melbourne 

3:00  A.M. 

The  Hague 

.    5:20  p.m. 

Calcutta  . 

10:53  P.M. 

Mexico  City      10:23  a.m. 

Tientsin 

.    1 :  00  A.M.I 

Calgary  . 

10:00  A.M. 

Montevideo 

1:15  P.M. 

Tokyo     . 

.    2:00  A.M.I 

Canton    . 

1:00  A.M.i 

Montreal 

12:00  N. 

Toronto . 

.  12:00  N. 

Cape  Town 

7:00  P.M. 

Moscow 

7:01  P.M. 

Tunis      . 

.    6:00  p.m. 

Caracas   . 

12:30  P.M. 

Naples    . 

6:00  p.M.s 

Vancouver 

.    9:00  a.m. 

Christiania 

6:00  P.M. 

Nome 

8:00  A.M. 

Vienna   . 

.    6:00  p.m. 

Colombo 

10:30  P.M. 

Odessa    . 

7:01  P.M. 

Warsaw . 

.    7:01  P.M. 

Constantino 

pie    7:00  p.m. 

Osaka     . 

2:00  A.M.i 

Wellington 

.    4:30  A.M.I 

Copenhagen 

6:00  P.M. 

Panama  . 

12:00  N. 

Winnipeg 

.  11:00  A.M. 

Damascus 

7:00  P.M. 

Paris .     . 

5:00  P.M. 

Yokohama 

.    2:00  A.M.I 

Dublin     . 

4:35  P.M.3 

Peking    . 

1:00  A.M.i 

Zanzibar 

.    7:00  P.M. 

Durban    . 

7:00  p.m. 

Pernambuc 

3       2:00  p.m. 

Zurich    . 

.    6:00  P.M. 

Edinburgh 

5:00  p.M.« 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Describe  briefly  the  different  classes  of  service  used  in  sending  cable- 
grams. 

Why  is  the  Week-end  Letter  a  popular  method  of  communication 
with  certain  business  houses? 

Where  the  rate  for  a  Cable  Letter  is  $1.15  for  1  to  12  words,  what  will 
it  cost  to  send  a  Cable  Letter  of  29  words  to  London  ? 


•  Next  day. 

2  April  30,  1916  to  Sept.  30,  1916 

'May  21,  1916  to  Oct.  1,  1916  . 


4  M.av  21,  1916  to  Oct.  1,  1916  .  .6:00  p.m. 
.7:00  p.m.  6june3,  1916  to  ???...  .7:00  p.m. 
.5:35  P.M. 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   ANJD    CABLEGRAMS  163 

Where  the  rate  for  a  Cable  Letter  is  75  c.  for  1  to  12  words,  what  will 
it  cost  to  send  a  Cable  Letter  of  36  words  to  Liverpool  ? 

Where  the  rate  for  a  Week-end  Letter  is  $1.40  for  1  to  24  words,  what 
will  it  cost  to  send  a  Week-end  Letter  of  43  words  to  London  ? 

Where  the  rate  for  a  Week-end  Letter  is  $1.75  for  1  -to  24  words, 
what  will  it  cost  to  send  a  Week-end  Letter  of  49  words  to  Liverpool  ? 

When  it  is  9  a.m.  Pacific  time,  what  is  the  time  at  Buenos  Aires, 
Havana,  Montevideo,  Paris,  and  Rio  de  Janeiro? 

When  it  is  8 :  30  p.m.  Central  time,  what  is  the  time  at  each  of  the 
above  places? 

SECTION   4 

CODE    SYSTEMS 

The  necessity  for  reducing  to  a  minimum  the  cost  of  messages 
has  resulted  in  the  invention  of  code  systems  that  enable  the  sender 
of  the  telegram  or  the  cablegram  to  express  in  a  single  word  a 
phrase  or  an  entire  sentence.  Words  of  this  kind  are  known  as 
code  or  cipher  words.     The  following  are  examples : 

Code  Words 
Factotem  :    When  will  automobile  be  ready  for  shipment  ? 
Falangista  :  Do  not  come  to-day ;  will  explain  by  letter. 

Cipher  Words 

GXQMK 

48127 

Code  systems  are  used  extensively  in  business  because  their 
brevity  not  only  reduces  the  cost  of  the  message,  but  they  lead  to 
accuracy,  and  the  private  code  systems  devised  by  individuals 
insure  secrecy. 

Public  Code  Systems 

Public  code  systems  are  really  the  compilation  of  words,  phrases, 
and  sentences  that  are  found  to  be  common  to  almost  all  lines  of 
business.  These  words  and  sentences  are  reduced  to  code  words 
and  are  embodied  in  code  books  published  by  specialists  in  work 
of  this  kind. 


164  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Among  the  well-known  code  books  or  systems  used  are  what  are 
known  as  the  ABC,  the  AI,  Lieber's,  and  the  Western  Union.  All 
the  express  companies  and  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company 
also  issue  free  code  booklets  intended  for  travelers,  and  their  use 
reduces  very  materially  the  cost  of  telegraph  and  cable  messages. 

The  follo-udng  illustrates  some  of  the  code  words  used  in  Lieber's 
Standard  Telegraphic  Code : 

OPPORTUNITY. 

26236  Autogeneal   .  .  .  May  not  have  such  an  opportunity  again, 

26237  Autogenous  .  .  .  No  opportunity  has  occurred. 

26238  Autognose  .  .  .  .    "  "  is  likely  to  occur. 

26239  Autognosia  .  .  .    The  first  opportunity. 

26240  Autogony "     opportunity  wiU  be  lost  unless  you  telegraph 

quickly. 

26241  Autografos.  .  . .   There  is  an  excellent  opportunity  (to ). 

26242  Autograph  ....  This  is  our  opportunity. 

26243  Autokles Waiting  for  an  opportunity. 

26244  Autolatre What  opportunity  is  there  (for )  ? 

26245  Autololes OPPOSITION. 

26246  Autolyci After   considerable  opposition  we   succeeded    (in 

). 

26247  Autolycus  ....   Do  you  expect  any  strong  opposition? 

26248  Automalite.  .  .  .  Expect  opposition  (vdth. )  (from ). 

26249  Automat Have  keen  opposition  (with ). 

262.50  Automatico  ...      "      no  opposition. 

26251  Automatism.  .  .       "      not  much  opposition  (with ). 

26252  Automatize  ...  If  there  is  any  opposition. 

26253  Automaton.  ..."       "      "  no  opposition. 

26254  Automatons ...  In  opposition  to  our  washes  and  instructions. 
262.55  Automatum  .  . .     "  "  "  the  wishes  of  the  board. 

26256  Automedusa  .  .    Opposition  came  from . 

26257  Autometre  ....  "  did  not  come  from . 

Private  Code  Systems 

Where  private  code  systems  are  used,  the  work  of  compiling 
them  is  intrusted  frequently  to  the  types  of  specialists  referred  to 
in  the  foregoing  paragraph.  Where  secrecy  is  imperative,  however, 
these  code  systems  are  worked  out  privately  and,  when  used  in 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  165 

business  houses,  they  are  accessible  to  trusted  employees  only. 
Private  codes  are  changed  sometimes  as  often  as  once  a  year,  with 
a  view  to  preventing  outsiders  from  becoming  at  all  familiar  with 
words  that  are  used  repeatedly  and  that  might  give  a  clue  to  the 
meaning  of  the  message. 

Registered  Cable  Addresses 

A  further  scheme  to  abbre\date  messages,  and  at  the  same  time 
reduce  the  cost,  is  brought  about  by  having  a  registered  cable 
address.  If,  for  example,  cables  sent  to  the  Westinghouse  Electric 
&  Manufacturing  Company  of  Pittsburg  were  addressed  in  full, 
the  address  would  consist  of  seven  words.  Firms  doing  a  cable 
business  usuall}^  submit  to  the  various  cable  companies  a  special 
cable  name.  This  is  frequentl}^  made  up  of  portions  of  the  firm 
name.  The  Westinghouse  Company  might  submit  the  word 
"  Westric."  If  the  cable  companies  found  that  this  name  had 
not  already  been  adopted  by  some  other  inchvidual  or  firm,  the 
combination  would  be  accepted  by  all  the  cable  companies,  and 
cables  addressed  to  "  Westric,  Pittsburg  "  would  be  charged  for 
on  the  basis  of  two  words  for  the  address. 

Reversible  Cable  Addresses 

Another  method  of  abbreviation  is  the  reversible  address.  For 
example :  the  regular  registered  cable  address  of  Wilson  &  Com- 
pany of  London  may  be  ''  Soncom,  London."  The  regular 
registered  cable  address  of  Robinson  &  Company  of  New  York 
City  may  be  "  Robco,  New  York."  These  firms  carry  on  a  heavy 
cable  business  with  each  other,  and  the  charges  for  signatures  are 
items  to  consider.  Agreeing  upon  and  registering  with  the  cable 
companies  a  special  address  may  result  in  the  joint  adoption  of 
the  word  "  Wilbin."  When  Wilson  &  Company  receive  a  cable 
addressed  to  them  as  "  Wilbin,  London,"  and  bearing  no  signature, 
they  know  that  it  has  come  from  the  New  York  firm ;  and  when 
Robinson  &  Company  receive  a  cable  addressed  to  them  as  "  Wil- 
bin, New  York,"  and  bearing  no  signature,  they  in  turn   know 


166  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

that  it  was  sent  by  the  London  firm.  Not  only  is  the  cost  of  the 
signature  saved ;  but  where  cables  are  received  as  constantly  in 
some  houses  as  the  mail  is  in  others,  this  method  serves  to  identify 
quickly  the  source  of  the  cable.  It  is  understood,  of  course,  that 
only  the  firms  interested  may  use  this  joint  cable  address.  An 
outsider  cabling  to  either  firm  would  have  to  use  the  regular 
registered  cable  address. 

Translating  Messages 

When  code  cablegi^ams  are  received,  they  must  be  translated  or, 
to  use  the  technical  expression,  unpacked.  Various  methods  are 
employed,  of  which  the  following  are  examples : 

One  method  is  to  interline  the  translation  on  the  cable  form 
itself,  using  a  different  colored  ink  or  the  typewriter. 

Another  method  is  to  attach  to  the  cable  itself  a  typed  or  hand- 
written slip  containing  the  translation  only. 

Still  another  is  the  use  of  regular  printed  forms  that  are  used 
in  some  offices  for  this  purpose. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

What  is  a  reversible  cable  address  and  what  are  its  advantages? 
What  is  a  registered  cable  address  and  what  are  its  advantages  ? 
Why  are  private  codes  used? 
Name  some  of  the  well-known  code  systems. 

What  is  meant  by  "unpacking"  a  message?  Describe  briefly  how  it  is 
done. 

SECTION   5 
WRITING   THE   MESSAGE 

Composing  the  Message 

In  composing  a  telegram  or  a  cablegram,  three  points  must  be 
borne  in  mind  —  brevity,  legibility,  and  clarity,  although  the  clerk 
may  find  himself  responsible  for  the  second  only. 

Brevity.  —  It  is  a  saving  of  money  to  have  the  messsage  brief, 
and  that  message  is  exceptionally  well  constructed  that  is  both 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS   AND   CABLEGRAMS  167 

clear  and  brief;  but  clearness  must  never  be  sacrificed  for  brevity. 
However,  the  problem  of  solving  the  expense  of  cabling  makes 
the  question  of  brevity  one  of  great  importance,  and  the  various 
code  systems  meet  this  situation. 

Legibility.  —  Telegrams  and  cablegrams  are  either  typewritten 
or  handwritten.  As  business  houses  preserve  duplicate  copies  of 
all  papers  sent  out,  typewritten  messages  are  used  whenever  possible. 
A  careful  clerk  will  find  it  desirable,  therefore,  to  typewrite  and 
tabulate  messages  as  follows : 

Telegram 


March  1  1917 

Jones  &  Company 

17  State  Street 

Chicago  Illinois 

Erskines 

arrive               Chicago 

Friday 

ten 

P.M. 

Reserve           two 

rooms 

Blackstone 

Arthur  Brown 

Cablegram 

March  1  1917 

Notromco 

London 

Acids          Ritz         Carlton 

Spray 

Sprig 

Brown         Brothers 

John  Smith 

Messages  so  spaced  will  show  at  a  glance  the  number  of  words 
used,  and  will  make  it  easier  to  check  telegraph  and  cable  bills 
when  rendered. 

As  it  is  not  always  possible  to  have  access  to  a  typewriter,  the 
handwritten  message  is  frequently  used.  Certain  methods  of 
doing  business  make  it  impossible  to  use  the  typewriter.  It  is, 
therefore,  most  important  that  the  handwriting  be  legible. 

Clarity.  —  Clearness  is  the  keynote  of  the  perfect  message.  A 
sentence  must  be  so  constructed  as  to  convey  its  meaning  when 
stripped  of  all  punctuation.  Punctuation  is  not  transmitted  un- 
less specially  ordered  and  paid  for. 


168  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Confirming  and  Duplicating  the  Message 

Triplicate  typewritten  copies  of  all  telegrams  and  cablegrams 
are  made  in  very  many  offices. 

Originals.  —  The  original  copy,  which  is  written  on  the  tele- 
graph or  cable  company's  regular  blank  form,  is  sent  to  the  local 
office  that  receives  the  message.  Some  houses  have  the  original 
message  t3^pewritten  on  a  machine  equipped  with  a  copying  ribbon 
and  then  copied  in  a  special  tissue  letter  copying  book,  using  the 
letter-press  for  this  purpose.  This  method  furnishes  a  chronologi- 
cally arranged  record  of  all  messages  sent  out  and  also  facilitates 
the  checking  up  of  monthly  statements  rendered  by  the  telegraph 
companies. 

Duplicates.  —  One  carbon  copy  is  sent  with  the  letter  confirming 
the  message,  which  is  mailed  immediately.  The  letter  may  begin : 
"  The  following  is  in  confirmation  of  our  telegram  (or  cablegram) 
to  you  of  this  date,"  etc.  The  enclosure  of  the  dupHcate  copy  en- 
ables the  receiver  to  compare  it  with  the  message  actually  received. 

Triplicates.  —  The  third  copy  is  placed  in  the  office  files.  Where 
handwritten  messages  are  the  rule,  specially  bound  books  contain- 
ing triplicate  sets  of  telegraph  and  cable  forms  are  popular.  These 
are  furnished  free  by  the  telegraph  companies.  Because  of  the 
convenience  with  which  they  may  be  handled,  they  are  equally 
appropriate  for  the  typewritten  form. 

Repeating  the  Message 

If  the  message  to  be  sent  is  important,  it  is  customary  for  the 
sender  to  request  that  it  be  repeated  back.  For  example,  if  a 
St.  Louis  firm  wants  some  assurance  that  a  telegram  sent  to  its 
Kansas  City  branch  has  been  transmitted  correctly,  it  will  insert 
in  the  upper  right-hand  corner  of  the  telegraph  form,  in  the  box 
marked  "  Check,"  the  words  "  Repeat  Back."  When  the  mes- 
sage has  been  telegraphed  by  the  St.  Louis  operator  to  the  Kansas 
City  operator,  the  former  will  request  the  latter  to  repeat  the 
message  back  to  him. 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  169 

In  the  case  of  telegrams,  the  additional  charge  is  one  half  the 
unrepeated  telegram  rate ;  for  cablegrams,  it  is  one  quarter  the 
regular  full  rate.  Repeating  the  message  practically  insures  its 
correct  transmission,  but  no  guarantee  is  given  by  the  telegraph 
company. 

If   cablegrams  are  received   containing  code  words  that  are 

unreadable,  they  are  referred  to  as  mutilated  77iessages  and  the 

incorrect  or  doubtful  words  are  repeated  to  the  receiver  free  of 

charge. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Why  is  legibility  an  important  factor  in  the  writing  of  messages? 

What  is  meant  by  "repeating"  a  message?  What  kinds  of  messages 
would  you  think  it  desirable  to  have  repeated?  Do  telegraph  com- 
panies guarantee  the  correct  transmission  of  repeated  messages? 

What  is  meant  by  a  "mutilated"  message? 

Why  does  the  modern  office  preserve  copies  of  its  telegrams  and 
cablegrams  ? 

What  is  meant  by  "confirming"  a  telegram,  and  why  is  it  done? 

How  many  copies  of  telegrams  and  cablegrams  are  made  in  the  aver- 
age office,  and  why? 

Your  office  sends  out  about  50  cablegrams  and  100  telegrams  each 
month.  Describe  a  simple  system  that  will  enable  you  to  check  up 
monthly  telegraph  and  cable  bills. 

From  the  information  given  below,  make  triplicate  copies  of  type- 
written telegrams,  using  telegraph  forms  for  originals  and  blank  paper  for 
duplicates.  Make  letter-press  copies  of  the  originals,  enclose  duplicates 
in  letters  of  confirmation,  and  file  triplicates  in  files  of  Office  Practice 
Room : 

Send  a  telegram  from  Chatham,  Mass.,  to  the  Fall  River  Navigation 
Co.,  Fall  River,  Mass.,  requesting  the  reservation  of  an  outside  state- 
room on  steamer  leaving  Fall  River  for  New  York  City  on  Thursday 
evening,  July  14,  and  stating  that  check  to  cover  this  reservation  will 
follow  by  mail. 

Send  a  telegram  from  Newport,  R.  I.,  to  the  McAlpin  Hotel,  34th 
Street  &  6th  Avenue,  New  York  City,  requesting  the  reservation  of  a 
suite  of  three  rooms  and  bath  from  Thursday  morning,  October  10,  until 
Monday  evening,  October  14. 

Send  a  telegi-am  from  San  Francisco  to  the  University  of  Chicago, 
canceling  your  reservation  of  room  in  one  of  the  dormitories  for  the  term 
beginning  September,  1917. 


170  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

SECTION    6 

SENDING   THE   MESSAGE 

As  the  telegraph  and  cable  companies  do  not  hold  themselves 
responsible  for  messages  until  they  have  been  accepted  at  one  of 
their  transmitting  offices,  care  must  be  exercised  in  sending  them. 

Filing  the  Message 

Telegraph  Messengers.  —  The  telegraph  companies  will  install 
free  in  their  customers'  offices  messenger  call  boxes.  The  sender 
of  the  message  merely  turns  the  handle  of  the  call  box  and  within 
a  few  minutes  the  company's  messenger  arrives.  There  is  gen- 
erally no  charge  for  this  service.  The  time  of  the  business  man 
and  the  clerk  is  saved,  but  the  telegraph  companies  expressly 
stipulate  that  messengers  used  for  this  purpose  are  to  be  regarded 
as  the  agents  of  the  sender  of  the  telegram.  In  other  words,  they 
will  provide  the  messenger,  but  the  customer  must  assume  the  risk. 

Telephones.  —  A  convenient  way  of  fiUng  telegrams  is  to  tele- 
phone them  either  from  a  private  telephone  or  a  public  telephone 
pay  station.  This  method  is  sometimes  used  by  business  houses. 
To  insure  accuracy  in  telephoning,  the  message  should  first  be 
written  out  and  then  read  to  the  telephone  operator  from  the 
written  draft.  The  draft  may  then  be  placed  in  the  office  files. 
The  telegraph  companies  regard  the  telephone  operator  as  the 
agent  of  the  sender,  and  hold  themselves  responsible  for  the 
message  only  as  it  is  received  through  her. 

Junior  Clerks.  —  In  many  offices,  a  junior  clerk  takes  all  mes- 
sages to  the  telegraph  office  and,  upon  his  return,  notes  on  the 
office  record  kept  for  that  purpose  the  cost  of  the  message,  the 
time  it  was  filed  at  the  telegraph  office,  and  his  initials. 

OflBces  of  the  Companies.  —  Messages  are  received  at  the  offices 
of  the  telegraph  companies  located  in  different  parts  of  the  larger 
cities  and  at  the  railroad  stations  of  the  smaller  towns.  In  cities 
like  New  York,  Chicago,  or  San  Francisco,  these  offices  are  to  be 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  171 

found  on  practically  every  street  in  the  financial  districts.  When 
in  doubt,  consult  the  local  telephone  or  city  directory.  Some  of 
these  offices  are  open  day  and  night,  and  messages  may  be  taken 
in  at  any  time.  In  case  they  are  not  open  all  night,  they  will, 
before  closing,  transmit  all  messages  received  either  to  their  desti- 
nation or  to  their  nearest  day  and  night  office. 

Delivering  the  Message 

Messages  will  be  delivered  free  by  telegraph  companies  within 
one  half  mile  of  the  company's  offices  in  towns  of  5000  or  less. 
They  will  be  delivered  free  within  one  mile  of  the  company's 
offices  in  larger  cities  and  towns.  Beyond  these  limits,  the  actual 
cost  of  deHvery  is  charged. 

The  sender  can  arrange  to  have  the  company  report  delivery  of 
a  message  by  adding  after  the  address  "  Report  Delivery."  These 
words  are  charged  for  and  the  report  of  delivery  will  be  made  by 
a  "  collect  "  message. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Why  do  some  firms  prefer  to  send  messages  to  the  telegraph'  office 
by  a  clerk  rather  than  by  the  free  messenger  service  ? 

Describe  one  method  of  ascertaining  the  location  of  the  nearest  branch 
telegraph  office  to  your  place  of  business. 

You  are  visiting  at  a  bungalow  located  in  a  village  nine  miles  from 
the  railroad  station,  where  the  local  telegraph  company  has  its  office. 
There  is  no  telephone  in  the  bungalow  and  your  father  is  obliged  to 
telegraph  you.  What  precautions  must  he  observe  in  sending  the  tele- 
gram if  he  wants  to  be  assured  that  you  will  receive  it  ? 

SECTION   7 

PAYING   FOR   THE   MESSAGE 

The  average  business  house  has  its  monthly  account  with  the 
telegraph  and  cable  companies,  and  has  its  own  sj'-stem  for  keep- 
ing records  of  outgoing  messages.  The  methods  referred  to  in 
the  section  on  Writing  the  Message  are  the  simplest  and  may  be 
said  to  be  the  fundamentals  of  any  system  of  keeping  records  of 


172  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

this  kind.     The  different  systems  in  vogue  in  different  business 
houses  are  merely  modifications  or  ampUfications  of  this. 

In  making  up  telegrams  and  cablegrams,  the  cost  must  always 
be  borne  in  mind.     The  following  points  are  important. 

How  Telegrams  are  Counted  and  Charged  For 

Date,  Address,  and  Signature.  —  The  date  (which  includes  the 
name  of  the  place  and  the  date  when  the  message  is  filed  with  the 
telegraph  company),  the  address,  and  the  signature  are  not  charged 
for  in  this  country.  In  foreign  countries,  however,  the  rule  is  to 
charge  for  every  word  that  occurs  in  the  telegram. 

Extra  Words  in  the  Date,  —  When  a  message  originally  ad- 
dressed to  a  person  at  one  point  is  forwarded  to  him  at  another 
point,  the  name  of  the  state  and  place  in  the  state  where  the 
message  first  originated  and  the  word  "  Via  "  are  charged  for. 
For  example,  a  message  originally  filed  at  a  telegraph  office  in 
Chicago  on  November  20,  addressed  to  Milwaukee,  and  for- 
warded from  Milwaukee  to  St.  Paul,  will,  when  forwarded,  be 
dated  "  Chicago,  III.,  via  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  November  20."  The 
words  in  italics  are  charged  for  as  a  part  of  the  message. 

Extra  Words  in  an  Address.  —  Words  added  to  an  address, 
such  as  "  Personal,"  "  Attention  Mr.  Harris,"  etc.,  are  charged 
for  as  a  part  of  the  message. 

In  alternative  addresses,  the  additional  words  constituting  the 
alternative,  indicated  by  italics  in  the  following  examples,  are 
charged  for : 

John  Smith,  80  Wall  Street,  or  111  Broadway,  New  York  City.- 

John  Sinith,  or  James  Brown,  80  Wall  Street,  New  York  City. 

John  Smith,  1911  Broadway,  or  James  Brown,  61  Wall  Street, 
New  York  City. 

A  message  addressed,  for  example,  to  "W.  Brown,  197  Broad- 
way, and  B.  Wells,  60  Exchange  Place,  New  York  City,"  or  "W. 
Brown  and  B.  Wells,  197  Broadway,"  wiU,  in  each  case,  be  charged- 
for  as  two  messages.  When  three  names  similarly  appear  in  the 
address,  it  will  be  charged  for  as  three  messages,  etc. ,  such  addresses 
indicating  that  delivery  is  to  be  made  to  each  of  the  addressees. 


OFFICE    TELEGRAMS   AND    CABLEGRAMS  173 

Extra  Words  in  Signatures.  —  Where  there  is  more  than  one 
signature  in  a  telegram,  all,  except  the  last  signature,  are  charged 
for.  And  all  additional  words,  including  addresses,  after  the  last 
or  only  signature,  are  also  charged  for  as  extra  words. 

General  Provisions  Governing  the  Count  of  Telegrams.  — 
The  following  extract  from  one  of  the  Western  Union  tariff  books 
shows  how  words  and  figures  are  counted  and  charged  for : 

Dictionary  words  taken  from  one  of  the  following  languages,  namely 
EngUsh,  German,  French,  Italian,  Dutch,  Portuguese,  Spanish,  and 
Latin ;  initial  letters,  surnames  of  persons,  names  of  countries,  counties, 
cities,  towns,  villages,  states  or  territories,  or  names  of  the  Canadian 
provinces,  will  be  counted  and  charged  for  each  as  one  word.  Abbre- 
viations of  the  names  of  countries,  counties,  cities,  towns,  villages,  states, 
territories,  and  provinces  will  be  counted  and  charged  for  the  same  as  if 
written  in  full. 

Excursion  (English  dictionary) 1  word 

Herzlichen  Glueckwunseh  (German  dictionary)  ...  .2  words 

Nous  arriverons  dimanche  (French  dictionary) 3       " 

Dolce  far  niente  (Italian  dictionary) 3      " 

Mijne  groete  aan  mevrouw  (Dutch  dictionary) 4      " 

Tudo  esta  perdido  (Portuguese  dictionary) 3       " 

Un  eabello  haze  sombra  (Spanish  dictionary) 4      " 

Errare  est  humanum  (Latin  dictionary) 3      " 

G.  W.  E.  A.  (Initials) 4      " 

Van  Dome  (Surname) 1  word 

McGregor  (Surname) 1      " 

O'Connor  (Surname) 1       " 

DeWitt  (Surname) 1       " 

W.  H.  Brown,  Jr 4  words 

United  States  (Country) 1  word 

Red  Hill  (County) 1 

St.  Louis  (City)   1 

East  St.  Louis  (City) 1 

Red  Bud  (Town) 1 

South  Orange  (Village) 1 

New  York  (or  N.  Y.)  (State) 1 

District  of  Columbia  (or  D.  C.) 1 

Nova  Scotia  (or  N.  S.)  (Canadian  Province) 1 


174  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Abbreviations  of  weights  and  measures  in  common  use  will  be  counted 
each  as  one  word. 

Figures,  decimal  points,  punctuation  marks,  and  bars  of  division  will 
be  counted,  each  separately,  as  one  word.  In  groups  consisting  of  letters 
and  figures  each  letter  and  figure  will  be  counted  as  one  word.  To  pre- 
vent liability  to  error,  numbers  and  amounts  should  be  written  in  words, 
but  the  message  will  be  accepted  as  written  if  the  customer  refuses  to 
make  the  change.  The  sender's  attention  should  be  called  to  any  punc- 
tuation marks  appearing  in  the  body  of  the  message  and  told  that  if  he 
desires  them  transmitted  they  will  be  included  in  the  count  and  charged 
for. 

In  ordinal  numbers  the  affixes  st,  d,  nd,  rd,  and  th  will  each  be  counted 
as  one  word. 

Lbs.     (Abbreviation  of  weight) 1  word 

Cwt.    (  "  "        "      ) 1      " 

Hhds.  (  "  "   measure) 1      " 

10000000  (Figures) 8  words 

Ten    milUons     (Amount    expressed    in    dictionary 

words) 2 

4442  (Figures) 4 

44.42  (Figures  and  decimal  point) 5 

743/4  (Figures  and  bar  of  division) 5 

A  1  (Letters  and  figures) 2 

42B618    (      "  "         "      ) 6 

A3GHF  (      "  "         "      ) -..5 

1st     (Ordinal  number  and  affix) 2 

10th  (      "  "  "       "    ) 3 

No.  185  West  22d  St 9 

Exceptions 

"      "  (quotation  marks) 1  word 

(     )  (parentheses) 1      " 

All  groups  of  letters,  when  such  groups  are  not  dictionary  words  of 
one  of  the  eight  languages  above  enumerated,  or  combinations  of  such 
dictionary  words,  will  be  counted  at  the  rate  of  five  letters  or  fraction  of 
five  letters  to  a  word.  When  such  groups  are  made  up  of  combinations 
of  dictionary  words  of  one  of  the  specified  eight  languages,  each  dic- 
tionary word  so  used  wiU  be  counted  as  one  word. 

To  facilitate  the  checking  of  messages  by  receiving  operators,  in  eases 
where  irregular  code  words  are  counted  double,  domestic  messages  con- 
taining such  words  will  bear  a  double  cheek:    as  for  instance,  "21/17 


OFFICE  TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


175 


paid,"  —  the  first  group  of  numerals  representing  the  number  of  charge- 
able words  and  the  last,  the  number  as  written  by  the  sender,  —  if  sent 
collect  the  check  will  be  "22/18  collect"  : 


Ababa 
Hhgga 
Egadol  ( 

Ccghxo  ( 

Dutimerodal  ( 
Gghrecexqdr  ( 


(Artificial  group  of 

( 


5   letters) 1  word 

5  "      ) 1      " 

6  "      ) 2  words 

6        "      ) 2 

11       "      ) 3 

11       "      ) 3 

Dothe  (Improperly  combined) 2 

Itis       (  "  "         ) 2 

Allright  (or  alright)  (Improperly  combined) 2 

Havyu  (2  dictionary  words  purposely  mutilated  and 

improperly  combined) 2      " 

Navy-yard  (Dictionary) 1  word 

Can  not  (Cannot  or  can't) 1  word 

Exceptions 

A.M 1  word 

P.M 1 

F.  O.  B.  (or  fob) 1 

C.  O.  D.  (or  cod) 1 

C.  I.  F.  or  C.  F.  I.  (or  cif ,  or  cfi) 1 

C.  A.  F.  (or  caf ) 1 

O.  K 1 

Per  Cent  (or  percent) 1 

% 1 

How  Cablegrams  are  Counted  and  Charged  For 

In  writing  cablegrams,  the  sender  must  keep  in  mind  the  rules 
according  to  which  the  words  are  counted  and  charged  for. 

Address,  Text,  and  Signature.  —  All  words  in  the  address  and 
signature,  as  well  as  all  words  in  the  text,  are  charged  for.  The 
address  of  every  cablegram  must  consist  of  at  least  two  words  — 
the  name  of  the  addressee  (or  his  cable  address)  and  the  name  of 
the  place  of  destination ;  as,  Smith,  London. 

Languages  —  Plain,  Code,  Cipher,  and  Combinations.  —  Cable- 
grams are  referred  to  technically  as  being  written  in  plain,  code, 
or  cipher  language,  or  in  combinations  of  the  three. 


176  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Plain  language  means  dictionary  words  from  any  language  that 
can  be  expressed  in  Roman  letters,  used  in  their  ordinary  sense. 
In  plain  language  messages,  each  word  of  15  letters  or  less  is  counted 
as  one  word ;  words  of  over  15  letters  are  counted  at  the  rate  of 
15  letters  or  fraction  of  15  letters  to  the  word. 

Code  words,  in  cablegrams,  may  consist  of  words  belonging  to. 
any  of  the  following  languages  : 

English  French  German  Itahan 

Dutch  Portuguese  Spanish  Latin 

The  use  of  words  from  other  languages  is  not  allowed.  Code 
words  may  also  consist  of  artificial  words ;  that  is,  groups  of 
letters  so  combined  as  to  be  pronounceable  in  at  least  one  of  the 
above  eight  languages.  Each  code  word  of  ten  letters  or  less  is 
counted  as  one  word.  No  code  word  of  more  than  ten  letters 
can  be  accepted. 

Cipher  messages  may  be  composed  of  groups  of  figures  or 
groups  of  letters  which  do  not  comply  with  the  conditions  of  plain 
or  code  language.  Such  groups  of  letters  or  figures  are  counted 
at  the  rate  of  five  figures  or  letters  or  fraction  thereof  to  the 
word. 

Combination  messages  are  made  up  of  plain  and  code  lan- 
guage, of  plain  and  cipher  language,  and  of  plain,  code,  and 
cipher  language.  Here  the  charge  per  word  is  altered.  In 
messages  written  in  a  mixture  of  plain  and  code  language,  the 
maximum  length  of  a  chargeable  word  is  fixed  at  ten  characters. 
In  messages  written  in  plain  and  cipher  language,  the  passages  in 
plain  language  are  counted  as  plain  language,  and  the  passages  in 
cipher  language  are  counted  as  cipher  language.  In  messages 
written  in  a  mixture  of  plain,  code,  and  cipher  language,  the  pas- 
sages in  both  plain  and  code  language  are  charged  as  code  language, 
and  the  passages  in  cipher  language  are  charged  as  cipher  language. 

General  Provisions  Governing  the  Count  of  Cablegrams.  — 
The  following  extract  from  one  of  the  Western  Union  tariff  books 
shows  how  words  and  figures  are  counted  and  charged  for. 


OFFICE  TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


177 


When  the  letters  "ch"  come  together  in  the  spelling  of  a  dictionary 
word,  they  are  counted  as  one  letter.  In  artificial  words  the  combination 
is  counted  as  two  letters. 

Inverted  commas,  the  two  signs  of  the  parenthesis,  and  each  separate 
figure,  letter,  underUne,  or  character  will  be  counted  as  one  word. 

Signs  of  punctuation,  hyphens,  and  apostrophes  are  not  counted  or 
sent  except  upon  formal  demand  of  the  sender,  in  which  case  they  will 
be  charged  for  as  one  word  each. 

Groups  of  figures  will  be  counted  and  charged  for  at  the  rate  of  five 
figures,  or  fraction  thereof,  as  one  word.  Decimal  points  and  commas, 
used  in  the  formation  of  numbers,  also  bars  of  division  and  letters  added 
to  figures  to  form  ordinal  numbers,  are  to  be  counted  as  figures  and  charged 
for  at  the  rate  of  five  figures,  or  fraction  thereof,  as  one  word. 

Words  joined  bj^  a  hyphen  or  separated  by  an  apostrophe  are  counted 
as  so  many  separate  words. 

Abbre\'iated  and  misspelled  words  and  illegitimate  compound  words 
and  words  combined  in  a  manner  contrary  to  the  usages  of  any  of  the 
languages  authorized  are  inadmissible. 

The  following  examples  wiU  determine  the  interpretation  of  the  rules 
to  be  followed  in  counting : 

.  In  the  Text     In  the  Address 

Alright 2  words 

Responsibility  (14  letters) 1  word 

Unconstitutional  (16  letters) 2  words 

A-til 3      " 

Aujourdhui .1  word 

Aujourd'hui 2  words 

Newj'ork 1  word 

New  York 2  words  1  word 

Frankfort  Main 2      " 

Frankfurtmain 1  word 

Starokonstantinow  (Town  in  Russia) 2  words 

Emmingen  Hannover 2 

Emmingen  Wurtemberg 2 

Van  de  Brande 3 

Vandebrande 1  word 

Dubois 1 

Du  Bois 2  words 

Hyde  Park 2      " 

Hydepark    (contrary   to   the   usage   of   the 

language) 2 

Hydepark  Square 2 

N 


178  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

In  the  Text     In  the  Address 

Saintjames  Street 2  words 

Saint  James  Street 3 

44|  (5  figures  and  signs) 1  word 

444,55  (6        "       "       "      ) 2  words 

$100 2      " 

Onehundred  dollars 2 

lOfr.  50 3      " 

11  h30 3      " 

44 1  word 

44/2 1      " 

2% 1       " 

Two  hundred  and  thirty  four 5  words 

Twohundredandthirtyfour  (23  letters) 2      " 

State  of  Maryland  (name  of  ship) 3      " 

Stateofmaryland      (     "      "      "    ) 1  word 

Emvthf  (6  letters) 2  words 

^  (trade  mark) 1  word 

n 

—  "  1  word 

m 

CHF45  (trade  mark) 1  word 

The   business   is   urgent,    start  at   once    (7 

words  and  2  underlines) 9  words. 

Send  reply  (if  any)  by  mail  (6  words  and 

parenthesis) 7 

Explain  "reversal"   (2  words  and  inverted 

commas) 3      " 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

From  the  code  words  given  below,  make  up   ten  typewritten  cable- 
grams (three  copies  of  each).     Each  cablegram  must  have  : 
a.  Fictitious  registered  cable  address, 
h.  Plain  and  code  words, 

c.  Your  own  signature, 

d.  Translation  interlined  in  red  ink  on  original  copy, 

e.  Number  of  words  charged  for  noted  in  red  ink  in  lower  right-hand 
corner  of  original  copy. 

ADDRESS 

Aback    Address  letters  to  care 

Abaft     Address  letters  to  Poste  Restante. 


OFFICE  TELEGRAMS  AND  CABLEGRAMS 


179 


Abase  Address  until 

Abash  Can  you  give  me  the  address  of 

Abate  Care  of 

Abbey  Care  of  agent Line,  at 

Abeam  Care  of  agent Line  at  this  place. 

Abets  Care  of  the  correspondents  of at 

Abide  Have  changed  address  to 

Abies  Have  sent  letter  to  your  last  address. 

Abler  How  long  shaU  you  remain  at ? 

Abode  How  long  shall  you  remain  there? 

Aboma  Letters  were  addressed  to 

Abort  My  cable  address  is  registered  at ;  any  messages  sent  there 

will  be  forwarded  to  me  at  once. 

About  Next  address  will  be 

Above  Please  send  letters  to  general  Post  Office  (at )   to  be  held 

till  called  for. 

Abuse  Please  send  letters  to until 

Abysm  Please  send  letters  to  this  place  until 

Abyss  Please  send  letters  to  this  place  until  further  advice  from  me. 

Ached  Send  all  letters  to  me  at 

Acids  Send  all  letters  to  me  care  of 

Acorn  Send  all  telegrams  (cables)  care  of 

Acrid  Send  aU  telegrams  (cables)  to  me  at 

Acted  Send  all  telegrams  (cables)  until care  of 

Actor  Send  all  telegrams  (cables)  until  further  advised  to  me  at 

Acute  Send  all. telegrams  (cables)  until  further  advised  to  me  here. 

Adage  ShaU  remain  here  until 

Adams  Shall  remain  here  until and  then  go  to 

Adapt  Shall  remain  there  until 

Added  Shall  remain  until 

Adder  Shall  remain  there  until and  then  go  to 

Addle  Telegraph  (cable)  everywhere  and  try  to  find  him  (her). 

Adept  To  what  address  was  letter  sent? 

Adieu  To  what  address  shall  I  send? 

Admit  Was  last  at  following  address. 

ARRANGEMENTS 


Alien      Shall  I  arrange? 

Alike      Will  arrange  for  your  return. 

Align      Will  make  arrangements. 


180 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


ARRIVAL 

Alive  Am  awaiting  arrival  of 

Alkyl  Arrived  all  right. 

Allah  Arrived  all  right,  address  letters  to  care  of 

Allay  Arrived  all  right,  telegraph  (cable)  me  in  care  of 

Allow  Arrived  all  right,  pleasant  passage,  advise  friends. 

Aloes  Arrived  all  right,  pleasant  passage,  am  writing. 

Aloft  Arrived  all  right,  pleasant  passage,  will  write. 

Alone  Arrived  —  all  well  —  splendid  passage  —  address  letters  to  .... 

Along  Arrived  —  all  well  —  address  letter  to  care  of 

Aloof  Arrived  —  aU   well  —  pleasant    voyage  —  telegraph    (cable)    me 

at 

Aloud  Arrived  —  all  well  —  had  stormy  passage  —  was  very  sick. 

Alpha  Arrived  —  all    well  —  had    stormy    passage  —  telegraph    (cable) 

me  at 

Altar  Arrived  —  all  well  —  stormy  passage  —  proceed  at  once  to  .... 

Amain  Arrived  here  all  well,  pleasant  passage. 

Amass  Arrived  here  all  well,  stormy  passage. 

Amber  Arrived  here  all  well,  am  leaving  for 

Amble  Arrived  here  aU  well,  leaving  for  home  at  once. 

Ambry  Arrived  here  all  well,  leaving  for  home  shortly. 

Amiss  Arrived  here  to-day 

Amity  Await  arrival  of  friends. 

Among  Await  arrival  of  steamer. 

Amuse  Await  arrival  of  baggage. 

Angel  Await  my  arrival. 

Anger  Do  not  await  arrival  of 

Angle  Do  not  await  my'arrival. 

Angry  Do  not  expect  to  arrive  before 

Anhal  arrived  to-day. 

Anhil  and arrived  to-day. 

Anile  Expect  to  arrive 

Anima  Expect  to  arrive  home  about 

Anise  Has  not  arrived. 

Ankle  Have  just  arrived  here.  Please  wire  what  you  have  to  com- 
municate. 

Annal  On  arrival  here  find  it  best  to  make  a  change  of  route,  and  there- 
fore go  to at  once. 

Annex  Shall  I  await  arrival? 

Annoy  Shall  not  await  arrival  of 

Anode  When  will  you  arrive? 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS   AND   CABLEGRAMS 


181 


Antic 

Anvil 

Apart 

Aphis 

Apium 

April 

Apron 

Arabs 

Ardor 

Arena 

Argue 

Argus 

Arise 

Armed 

Aroma 

Arras 

Array 

Aryan 

Aside 

Asked 


Spray 

Sprig 

Spurn 

Spurt 

Squab 

Squat 
Squid 
Staff 
Stack 

Stage 

Stair 

Stake 

Stale 

Stalk 

Stall 

Stamp 


BAGGAGE 

Baggage  has  arrived. 

Baggage  has  not  arrived. 

Baggage  has  been  lost. 

Baggage  has  been  found. 

Baggage  has  been  sent. 

Baggage  has  not  been  sent. 

Baggage  will  be  sent. 

Detained  here  awaiting  baggage. 

Discovered  at  railway  station. 

Has  baggage  been  sent? 

Has  the  (your)  baggage  been  found? 

How  was  it  marked? 

How  manj^  pieces  of  baggage?     Describe  same. 

Leave  heavy  baggage  behind. 

Send  baggage  here. 

Send  baggage  to 

Send  baggage  to  care  of 

When  was  baggage  sent? 
When  will  baggage  be  sent? 
Where  was  baggage  sent? 

MONEY 

Letter  of  credit  lost.     Require  funds  for  immediate  needs. 

Make  it  payable  to  the  order  of 

Make  it  payable  to  mj^  order. 

Money  has  been  received  (through). 

Money  has  been  sent  through ;    acknowledge  receipt  by 

cable. 
Money  has  not  been  received.     Send  further  remittance. 
Money  received.     Require  further  amount  (of). 

Money  required  for 

Money  .sent   you   by  mail   on    Have   you   received   it? 

If  so,  why  do  you  require  more? 
Money  was  sent  by  mail. 

Money  was  sent  by  mail  to  care  of 

Money  was  sent  by  cable. 

Money  was  sent  by  cable  to  care  of 

Money  was  sent ;   have  you  received  it? 

No  more  money  will  be  sent. 

On  whom  and  for  what  amount  shall  I  draw? 


182 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Stand 

Start 

State 


Stave 

Stead 

Steak 

Steal 

Steam 

Steel 

Steep 

Steer 

Stern 

Stick 

Stiff 

Stile 

Still 

Sting 


On  whom  shall  I  draw? 

Or  equivalent  in  sterling  money. 

Please  open  credit  in  my  favor  by  telegraph  (cable)  through 

for  sum  of Wire  to  me  when  it  is  opened,  as  I  wish  to 

draw  against  it  at  once. 

Please  protect  my  draft  on for  amount  of 

Remit  as  soon  as  possible. 

Remit  by  cable  through 

Remit  by  mail  through 

Remit  immediately^ 
Require  more  money ;   send  by  mail. 
Require  more  money  ;   send  by  cable. 
Send  by  first  mail. 

Send  by  first  mail  letter  of  credit  for 

Send  by  first  mail  draft  for addressed  to  me  at 

Send  cable  transfer  through for 

Send  credit  by  mail  to  me  at 

Send  credit  by  mail  to  me  at  this  place. 
Send  draft  for  amount  of  postage. 


Swath 

Swear 

Sweat 

Sweep 

Sweet 

Swell 

Swift 

Swill 

Swine 

Swing 

Swipe 

Swirl 

Swiss 

Swoon 

Swoop 

Sword 


Syrup 
Tabby 


PASSAGE 

Secure  first  class  passage  for  wife  and  self  on  S.  S.  . 

Secure  second  class  passage  for 

Secure  second  class  passage  for  wife  and  self  on  S.  S. 
Send  draft  for  amount  of  passage. 

ShaU  sail  (start)  from 

ShaU  sail  (start)  from  Liverpool 

Shall  sail  (start)  from  London 

Shall  sail  (start)  to-day. 
Shall  sail  (start)  to-morrow. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Sunday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Monday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Tuesday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Wednesday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Thursday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Friday. 
Shall  sail  (start)  Saturday. 

REMAIN 

Better  remain  where  you  are. 

If  possible,  wish  to  remain  another  month. 


OFFICE   TELEGRAMS  AND   CABLEGRAMS 


183 


Table  If  possible,  wish  to  remain  another  week. 

Taboo  If  possible,  wish  to  remain  until 

Tacit  If  possible,  wish  to  remain weeks  longer. 

Tacky  Remain  longer  if  it  will  pay  to  do  so. 

Taffy  Remain  until if  it  will  pay  to  do  so. 

Taint  Shall  remain  here  until 

Tales  Shall  remain  here  until and  then  go  to 

Talks  Shall  remain  there  until 

Tally  Shall  remain  there  until and  then  go  to 

Talon  Shall  remain  until 

Talus  You  are  not  needed  at  home.     Remain  longer  if  it  will  pay  to  do 


START 

Tansy  Better  start  for as  soon  as  possible. 

Taper  Better  start  for  home  as  soon  as  possible. 

Tardy  But  do  not  start 

Tarry  But  do  not  start  until 

Taste  Cannot  leave  here  at  present.     Will  advise  you  before  I  (we)  start. 


PART   VI 

OFFICE   TIME   AND   LABOR   SAVERS 

Section  1    Machines  for  the  Correspondence  Department 

Duplicating  Machines 

Addressing  Machines 

Mailing  Machines 

Dictating  Machines 
Section  2    Machines  for  the  Financial  Department 

Calculating  Machines 

Billing  and  Computing  Machines 

Statistical  Machines 
Section  3    Miscellaneous  Machines 

SECTION    1 
MACHINES  FOR  THE   CORRESPONDENCE  DEPARTMENT 

How  interesting  it  would  be  to  have  before  us  a  picture  of 
Charles  Lamb  doing  his  day's  work  as  a  clerk  in  the  house  of  the 
famous  East  India  Company.  It  would  not  portray  a  man  seated 
at  a  typewriter,  taking  dictation  from  an  employer.  It  would 
give  us  rather  a  quaint  old  character,  holding  quill  to  parchment, 
and  penning  forth  his  communication  with  all  the  care  and  atten- 
tion that  an  artist  brings  to  bear  upon  a  canvas.  Let  us  turn 
from  this  possible  picture  to  a  real  picture  of  the  business  office 
of  to-day. 

When  the  business  office  of  thirty  years  ago  banished  the  hand- 
written letter  and  enthroned  the  typewriter,  men  felt  themselves 
very  far  removed  from  that  office  of  Lamb's  day ;  yet  to-day  we 
feel  ourselves  equally  far  removed  from  that  office  of  thirty  years 

184 


OFFICE    TIME    AND    LABOR   SAVERS  185 

ago,  for  the  typewriter  is  only  one  of  the  numberless  time  and  labor 
savers  that  have  come  to  stay. 

What  has  brought  about  this  marvelous  change?  It  has  been 
caused  by  the  practical  application  of  the  old  adage  that  "  Time 
is  money." 

When  business  developed  so  that  handwriting  could  no  longer 
serve  it  efficiently,  the  typewriter  was  invented.  With  the  in- 
vention of  the  typewriter  and  other  labor-saving  devices,  business 
continued  to  grow.  The  time  saved  permitted  the  business  man 
to  explore  territory  still  untouched.  This  continuous  growth  of 
business  calls  for  newer  and  more  efficient  time  and  labor  savers, 
and  hardly  a  year  passes  that  does  not  see  the  birth  of  some 
invention  designed  to  serve  the  business  world  as  it  advances. 
When  the  story  of  our  century  comes  to  be  written,  the  title  will 
read  "  The  Age  of  Machinery." 

Let  us  consider  some  of  these  wonderful  time  and  labor  savers 
of  the  age  in  which  we  Hve !  They  may  be  grouped  under  three 
general  headings : 

Machines  for  the  Correspondence  Department, 
Machines  for  the  Financial  Department, 
Miscellaneous  Machines. 

WTiat  are  machines  for  the  correspondence  department  ?  They 
are  machines  that  will  open,  dictate,  write,  duplicate,  address, 
fold,  seal,  weigh,  stamp,  and  send  the  letter  in  the  shortest  possible 
time. 

We  shall  consider  them  in  certain  groups  :  Duplicating  Ma- 
chines, Addressing  Machines,  Mailing  Machines,  and  Dictating 
Machines. 

Duplicating  Machines 

When  more  than  one  copy  of  a  paper  is  needed,  two  things  must 
be  considered  —  the  expense  of  reproduction  and  the  time  consumed. 

A  letter  may  be  printed  in  one  of  five  ways  —  with  a  gelatin 
process,  with  a  stencil,  through  a  ribbon,  on  a  typewriter,  or  on  a 
printing  press. 


186 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Gelatin  Duplicators.  —  It  is  said  that  if  more  than  four  copies 
of  any  paper  are  needed,  the  use  of  carbon  sheets  is  extravagant. 
What  cheaper  methods  of  dupHcation  can  be  used?  Gelatin 
duplicators  solve  this  problem  for  certain  kinds  of  work  in  many 
business  houses.  They  are  the  cheapest,  cleanest,  and  quickest 
machines  for  duphcating  papers  that  need  not  look  like  original 
copies.  It  requires  practically  no  instruction  to  operate  them. 
The  printing  beds  are  of  gelatin.  In  the  older  models,  the  gelatin 
is  poured  into  molds  or  pans.  In  the  newer  models,  the  gelatin 
composition  is  manufactured  in  strips  or  rolls,  as  illustrated. 

The  sheet  to  be  reproduced  is  either  prepared  on  the  type- 
writer or  handwritten,  and  a  special  kind  of  typewriter  ribbon  or 
copying  ink  is  used  for  the  purpose.     It  is  placed  face  downward 

on  the  moistened 
gelatin  surface 
and  smoothed  into 
position  with  the 
hand  or  a  wooden 
roller.  The  paper 
is  allowed  to  re- 
main for  a  few 
moments  until  the 
ink  has  been  ab- 
sorbed by  the 
gelatin,  and  it  is 
then  removed.  Fifty  readable  copies  may  be  made  from  this 
gelatin  impression  by  simply  placing  clean  sheets  of  paper  on  the 
gelatin  bed,  smoothing  them  down  with  the  hand  or  roller,  and 
removing  them  at  once. 

Mimeographs.  —  The  capacity  of  gelatin  duplicators  is  limited 
to  about  fifty  copies.  It  is  claimed  that  hand-driven  mimeographs 
can  turn  out  1000  copies  and  that  motor-driven  mimeographs 
can  produce  5000  copies  an  hour. 

The  place  of  the  mimeograph  in  the  office  is  determined  by  the 
type  of  business  that  requires  it.     Many  houses  and  institutions 


Courtesy  of  Graphic  Duplicator  Company 
Gelatin  Duplicator 


OFFICE    TIME    AND    LABOR   SAVERS 


187 


cannot  get  along  without  it.     It  will  produce  sharp,  clean-cut, 
and  accurate  copies^of  typewritten  or  handwritten  papers. 

The  machine  is  easy  to  understand  and  simple  to  operate.  It 
calls  for  the  use  of  a  stencil,  either  wax  or  dermatype.  On  this 
is  written  or  typewritten  the  matter  to  be  mimeographed.     The 


Courtesy  of  A.  B.  Dick  Mfg.  Co. 
Mimeograph 


prepared  stencil  is  then  transferred  to  the  mimeograph  cylinder 
and  the  copies  run  off. 

Multigraphs  and  Automatic  Typewriters.  —  Multiple  typewriters 
may  be  divided  into  two  classes  —  multigraphs  and  automatic 
typewriters. 

Multigraphs.  —  The  popularity  of  the  form  and  the  follow-up 
letter  as  a  means  of  keeping  in  touch  with  the  customer,  or  the  pros- 
pect, has  produced  the  mailing  list  that  to-day  runs  into  thou- 
sands of  names.     Circularizing  is  a  fine  art  in  the  business  world, 


188 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


for  the  personal  interview  must  necessarily  be  limited.  The 
business  man  may  not  have  time  to  see  the  salesman,  but  he  will 
glance  at  his  letter.  That  glance  may  do  the  work.  The  well- 
dressed  letter  usually  receives  the  same  attention  that  commonly 
characterizes  the  well-dressed  man.  How  to  clothe  this  letter 
with  a  minimum  of  expense  is  a  problem  that  must  be  confi'onted. 
Gelatin  duplicators  are  out  of  the  question,  and  very  frequently 
mimeographs   are   also.     Carefully  written   original   typewritten 


Courtesy  of  American  Multigraph  Sales  Company 
Printing  Drum  of  Multigraph 


letters  are  time  consumers,  and  the  element  of  cost  must  be  con- 
sidered. This  is  where  the  multiple  tj^pe writer  becomes  of  value. 
These  multiple  typewriters,  or  multigraphs,  as  they  are  called, 
are  really  office  printing  machines  that  will  type,  at  one  operation, 
through  a  ribbon,  an  unlimited  number  of  letters.  These  machines 
are  so  constructed  that  it  is  possible  to  regulate  the  impression  to 
the  exact  touch  of  the  typist  who  fills  in  the  salutation,  and  only 
the  general  tone  of  the  letter  itself  reveals  that  it  is  a  form.  If 
a  pen  signature  is  desirable,  it  is  possible,  by  means  of  a  signature 


OFFICE    TIME   AND    LABOR   SaVERS  189 

attachment,  to  sign  the  name  in  writing  fluid,  in  any  color  and  in 
any  position,  at  the  same  time  that  the  letters  are  being  multi- 
graphed.  This  illustration  shows  the  type  transferred  to  the 
printing  drum  of  the  machine. 

Automatic  Typewriters.  —  Another  type  of  duphcating  machine, 
used  in  some  of  the  large  dry-goods  houses,  is  the  automatic  type- 
writer. This  machine  is  built  on  the  player  piano  principle,  and 
a  regular  typewriter  is  part  of  the  equipment.  Its  construction 
is  novel.  By  means  of  perforated  stencils  placed  in  the  machine, 
names,  addresses,  dates,  and  special  notations  may  be  made  in  the 
body  of  each  letter.  A  single  operation  produces  a  finished  letter. 
This  is  a  distinct  advantage  over  the  multigraph  type  of  machine, 
where  the  name,  address,  or  special  notation  must  be  filled  in 
afterwards. 

Letter  Copiers.  —  Caring  for  copies  of  letters  intended  for  the 
office  files  was  covered  so  fully  in  the  sections  on  outgoing  mail 
and  office  records  (pages  16-65  and  pages  66-112),  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  discuss  this  subject  here.  We  know  that  the  method 
of  duplication  employed  is  either  the  carbon  copy  or  some  form  of 
letter-press. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Name  the  five  different  types  of  machines  that  wiU  print  a  letter. 

Name  six  uses  to  which  a  gelatin  duplicator  may  be  put. 

Define  the  following  parts  of  your  mimeograph :  cylinder,  cylinder 
handle,  flannel  pad,  inking  box,  inking  valve,  release  button,  impression 
roll,  "On"  and  "Off"  plate,  registering  meter,  paper  shelves. 

Explain  the  difference  between  a  wax  and  a  dermatype  stencil. 

If  you  were  explaining  the  operation  of  your  mimeograph  to  an  office 
boy,  what  three  parts  would  you  consider  of  greatest  importance? 

Outhne  the  steps  to  be  followed  in  preparing  and  typewriting  a  wax 
and  a  dermatype  stencil. 

Define  the  following  parts  of  your  multigraph :  supply  drum,  type 
channels,  reserve  channels,  empty  channels,  pointer,  type  scale,  printing 
drum,  setting  the  type,  locking  the  line,  marginal  bands,  raising  or  lower- 
ing the  impression,  chaser,  impression  roll  handle,  taking  carbon  proof, 
correcting  proof,  registering  meter. 


190  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

Given  the  following  pieces  of  work  and  your  choice  as  to  the  method  of 
dupUcation  to  be  used  in  each  case,  which  would  you  select  ? 

a.  100  circulars  to  be  sent  to  wealthy  women,  asking  them  to  become 
members  of  a  committee  on  civic  improvements ; 

b.  5000  circulars  on  fire  prevention,  to  be  distributed  to  school  chil- 
dren; 

c.  50  circulars  warning  employees  against  lateness ; 

d.  150  copies  of  a  circular  from  the  principal  of  your  school  to  the 
teachers ; 

e.  150  copies  of  a  circular,  offering  a  valuable  antique  for  sale.  Only 
wealthy  men  interested  in  art  will  be  circularized,  and  it  is  desirable  to 
have  them  feel  that  they  are  receiving  original  letters. 

Your  mimeograph  is  turning  out  blurred  copies,  dark  in  one  spot  and 
light  in  another.     Give  three  reasons  for  this. 

Write  a  letter  to  the  agents  of  your  mimeograph,  mentioning  that  some 
part  of  the  machine  is  out  of  order  and  that  you  wish  to  have  it  repaired. 

Write  the  same  kind  of  letter  to  the  agents  of  your  multigraph. 

Addressing  Machines 

The  handwritten  business  envelope  is  as  obsolete  to-day  as  is 
the  handwritten  business  letter ;  yet  even  the  typewriter,  modern 
as  it  is,  is  not  considered  always  an  economical  solution  of  the 
envelope  and  card  problem. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  backbone  of  almost  any  business  is 
its  list  of  names.  These  lists  often  take  years  to  build  up.  Now 
a  hst  of  names  is  valuable  only  when  it  is  absolutely  accurate  and 
legible  and  when  it  can  be  handled  with  ease  and  rapidity.  This 
question  of  handling  addresses  with  ease  and  rapidity  has  pro- 
duced the  addressing  machine. 

An  addressing  machine  is  a  machine  used,  as  the  name  indi- 
cates, to  address  envelopes  and  cards  of  any  kind,  in  cases  where 
large  numbers  are  to  be  mailed. 

Machines  of  this  type  are  used  for  envelopes,  wrappers,  mailing 
cards,  club  notices,  announcements,  folders,  premium  notices, 
receipts  of  all  kinds,  index  tabs,  shipping  tags,  bills,  statements^ 
pay  rolls  and  pay-roll  envelopes,  time  sheets,  loose-leaf  ledger 
sheets,  clock  cards,  and  for  a  hundred  and  one  other  forms. 


OFFICE   TIME   AND    LABOR   SAVERS 


191 


The  equipment  needed  includes  an  addressing  machine,  address 
plates,  and  a  specially  constructed  filing  cabinet  to  hold  these 
plates. 

Address  plates  are  of  two  kinds  —  stencils  that  can  be  cut  on 
the  office  typewriter  and  metal  plates  with  raised  letters.     Metal 


Courtesy  of  Addressograph  Company 
Addressing  Machine 

plates  are  cut  either  on  a  small  machine  (the  graphotype)  that 
accompanies  the  equipment  in  some  cases,  or  they  are  embossed 
by  the  firm  that  sells  the  machine.  When  not  in  use,  the  address 
plates  are  filed  in  either  alphabetic,  geographic,  or  subject  order, 
according  to  the  system  of  filing  used. 


192 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


Metal  Plate 


These  machines  are  either  foot  or  motor-driven,  and  they  have 
safety  devices.  From  the  standpoint  of  filing,  they  possess  one 
very  practical  feature.  A  filing  drawer  filled  with  plates  may  be 
emptied  into  a  machine,  and  the  drawer  placed  in  position  to 
receive  the  plates  as  they  drop  into  it.  When  the  plates  have 
addressed  the  envelopes,  it  will  be  found  that  the  machine  has 
1^  ^  automatically  returned 

!     i D" Kansas,   crty^l]  them     to     the      filing 

drawer  in  exactly  the 
same  order  in  which 
they  left  it. 

Special  gauges  make 
it   possible   to    address 
envelopes  or  papers  of 
any   width    or    length, 
and   repeating    devices 
make     it     possible    to 
address    one,    two,    or 
numberless  copies  of  one  name  and  address.     Information  placed 
on  the  regular  stencil  or  plate,  but  not  wanted,  may  be  auto- 
matically cut  off  by  a  device  that  will  make  it  impossible  to  print. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Write  a  letter  to  the  firm  from  which  you  purchased  your  addressing 
machine,  asking  that  a  repair-man  call  and  repair  some  particular  part 
that  is  out  of  order. 

State  some  of  the  uses  to  which  an  addressing  machine  may  be  put 
in  a  publishing  house. 

Define  the  following  attachments  :  envelope  gauge,  repeating  devices, 
magazine,  metal  plates,  stencils,  cut-off. 

Mailing  Machines 

As  the  sections  on  incoming  and  outgoing  mail  cover  very  fully 
the  opening,  folding,  sealing,  weighing,  stamping,  and  sending  of 
letters,  it  is  not  necessary  to  do  more  than  refer  to  these  sections 
here.     (See  pages  1  to  65.) 


OFFICE    TIME    AND    LABOR   SAVERS 


193 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Describe  briefly  the  types  of  machines  that  wiU  open,  write,  dupli- 
cate, address,  fold,  seal,  weigh,  stamp,  and  send  a  letter  in  the  shortest 
possible  time. 

Dictating  Machines 

In  offices  where  one  stenographer  must  take  the  dictation  of 
many  men,  or  where   men   may  be  obhged  to  dictate  before  or 


Courtesy  of  Columbia  Graphophone  Company 
Dictaphone 


after  regular  office  hours,  or  where  the  stenographic  work  is 
routine  in  its  nature,  dictaphones  or  phonographs  are  used. 
These  machines  are  really  mechanical  dictators  and  they  have 
many  advantages. 


194  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

SECTION  2 
MACHINES   FOR   THE   FINANCIAL   DEPARTMENT 

What  are  machines  for  the  financial  department?  They  are 
the  machines  that  will  do  the  mental  arithmetic  of  the  office  and  do 
it  with  a  minimum  of  errors.     They  are  the  most  wonderful  of  all. 

Running  the  financial  department  of  a  business  house  without 
proper  mechanical  equipment  is  like  attempting  to  handle  corre- 
spondence without  the  aid  of  typewriters.  It  cannot  be  done. 
The  business  man  realizes  that  the  assembhng  of  figures  —  addi- 
tion, subtraction,  multiplication,  or  division — is  just  as  much  the 
work  of  a  machine  as  is  the  writing  of  letters. 

This  does  not  mean  that  a  knowledge  of  mathematics  and  prac- 
tice in  calculations  is  not  necessary.  Your  mathematics  has 
trained  you  to  think  and  to  reason,  and  no  machine  can  do  that 
for  you ;  but  it  can  minimize  greatly  the  strain  that  would  other- 
wise be  placed  upon  your  thinking  and  reasoning  faculties.  The 
mechanical  accountant  is  your  ever-ready  assistant  —  not  your 
master  ! 

These  machines  fall  naturally  into  three  groups  —  Calculating 
Machines,  Billing  and  Computing  Machines,  and  Record  Keeping 
Machines. 

Calculating  Machines 

It  is  said  that  the  auditing  of  one  day's  business  in  such  stores 
as  Marshall  Field  &  Company,  John  Wanamaker,  and  Gimbel 
Brothers  involves  the  adding  and  totaUng  of  anywhere  from 
50,000  to  150,000  sales  checks,  and  that  this  great  volume  of  sales 
is  handled  rapidly  and  accurately  by  a  comparatively  small  force 
of  clerks.  How  is  this  possible?  The  calculating  machine  is  the 
answer. 

Machines  of  this  type  are  referred  to  as  Listing  and  Non-Listing. 

Listing  Machines.  —  Listing  machines  have  two  very  distinct 
and  definite  functions,  both  performed  simultaneously  by  the 
same  operation.     They  will   write  down,  or  fist,  figures  just  as 


OFFICE   TIME   AND   LABOR   SAVERS 


195 


rapidly  as  a  typewriter  will  write  figures ;  and  they  will  automati- 
cally add  the  figures  they  write  down  and  be  ready,  by  the  mere 
operation  of  a  handle,  to  print  the  total  which  has  been  accu- 
mulating in  the  machine  during  the  writing  operation. 


Courtesy  of  Burroughs  Adding  Machine  Company 
Listing  Machine 


These  machines  will  also  subtract,  multiply,  and  divide ;  but 
as  the  entire  process  in  each  operation  by  which  the  result  has 
been  arrived  at  is  Usted,  it  is  not  always  practicable  to  use  them 
in  this  way.  Where  written  records  of  figures  and  totals  are 
wanted,  the  listing  machine  is  used. 


196 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


Non-Listing  Machines.  —  Where  no  written  record  of  figures 
is  required,  non-listing  machines   are   used.     These  are,  in   the 

real  sense  of  the  word,  calculat- 
ing machines,  for  they  not  only 
add,  subtract,  multiply,  and  di- 
vide, but  they  give  what  is  really 
wanted  —  the  answer,  and  they 
give  it  in  the  shortest  possible 
time. 

These  listing  and  non-listing 
machines  are  in  no  sense  com- 
petitors. Where  the  process  by 
which  the  result  has  been  obtained 
is  wanted,  the  lister  is  used.  Where 
the  result  only  is  wanted,  the  non- 
lister  is  used.  In  most  of  the 
larger  business  houses,  both  kinds 
are  absolutely  necessary. 


Courtesy  of  Felt  &  Tarrant  Mfg.  Co. 

Non-Listing  Machine 

(Comptometer) 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

How  would  you  check  calculations  on  a  non-listing  machine? 

What  operation  of  a  Usting  machine  actually  places  the  figures  on  the 
paper  ? 

Why  are  multiplication  and  division  not  very  desirable  features  of 
listing  machines? 

Define  the  following  terms :  listing,  non-listing,  total  key,  sub-total 
key,  repeat  button,  non-add  button,  clearing  the  machine. 

If  you  were  asked  to  cheek  up  the  items  in  a  salesbook,  figure  dis- 
counts, etc.,  what  kind  of  calculating  machine  would  you  use? 

Write  a  letter  to  the  agents  of  your  calculating  machine,  asking  them 
to  call  and  repair  some  particular  part  that  is  out  of  order. 


Billing  and  Computing  Machines 

The  necessity  for  legible  and  accurate  records  has  produced 
the  combination  billing  and  computing  machines  that  are  used 
in  the  financial  departments  of  all  business  houses. 


OFFICE    TIME   AND    LABOR   SAVERS 


197 


These  machines  are  really  very  strongly  built  typewriters 
equipped  A\ith  adding  and  subtracting  registers,  or  totaUzers. 
One  machine  on  the  market  includes  a  device  that  will  multiply 


Courtesy  of  Elliott-Fisher  Company 
Bookkeeping  Machine 


and  divide.  For  billing,  order  entry,  or  other  work  in  w^hich  wait- 
ing, adding,  and  subtracting  are  done,  they  cannot  be  surpassed. 
They  are   used  by  bookkeepers,  and  they  will  do   any  kind   of 


198  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

statistical  work,  make  up  pay  rolls,  departmental  records,  insur- 
ance records,  and  analysis  sheets ;  and  they  will  write  the  letters 
and  notices  that  may  be  needed  to  accompany  monthly  state- 
ments. The  machine  illustrated  shows  a  flat  platen.  Here  the 
book  or  loose-leaf  card  upon  which  the  entry  is  to  be  made  is 
placed  under  the  machine.  There  are  on  the  market  other  types 
of  machines  that  will  hold  only  the  grades  of  paper  that  can  be 
inserted  in  a  regular  typewriter.  The  first  is  primarily  a  book- 
keeping machine ;  the  second  is  most  valuable  where  the  making 
of  bills  and  statements  is  part  of  the  stenographer's  clerical  work. 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

What  is  meant  by  the  totalizer  or  the  register  of  a  billing  machine  ? 

Describe  the  operation  of  totaling  and  clearing  your  billing  machine. 

Name  the  device  on  your  billing  machine  that  will  enable  you  to  add 
without  registering  the  result  on  paper. 

Write  a  letter  to  the  agents  of  your  billing  machine  asking  them  to 
call  and  repair  it,  stating  some  particular  part  that  needs  attention. 

Statistical  Machines 

The  compilation  of  records  usually  involves  the  expenditure 
of  a  great  deal  of  money  and  time.  A  business  house  may  want 
to  know  just  what  it  costs  to  do  a  certain  kind  of  work  in  its 
factory.  There  are  machines  that  will  gather  information  that 
will  answer  these  questions.  They  are,  naturally,  expensive  and 
they  are  not  to  be  found  in  all  offices. 

One  of  these  machines  —  the  Hollerith  —  may  be  described  as  an 
electrically  operated,  automatic,  multiple  adding  machine.  Figures 
representing  statistical  information  are  punched  into  small  oblong- 
shaped  -cards  by  means  of  a  hand-operated  perforating  machine. 
They  are  then  sometimes  put  through  a  second  machine,  known  as 
a  sorter,  which  re-groups  them.  Next  they  are  placed  in  a  hopper 
and  automatically  run  through  the  principal  machine,  the  dis- 
tributor, which  takes  off  the  figures  from  these  cards  and  throws 
them  on  to  a  number  of  sets  of  adding  wheels,  which  count  and 


OFFICE   TIME   AND   LABOR   SAVERS 


199 


total  them  at  the  same  time.  The  final  additions  are  shown  on 
dials,  from  which  they  can  be  transcribed  by  hand  to  paper. 
The  illustrations  show  the  distributing  machine  and  the  card  that 
is  used. 


Courtesy  of  Computing-Tabulating-Recording  Company 
Distributor 


0  0  0  0 

11)1 

2  2  2  2 

3  3  3  3 

4  4  4  4 

5  5  5  5 

6  6  6  6 

7  7  7  7 


0  0  0  0  0 

1  11    11 
^  2  2  2  2 

3  3^3  3  3 

4  44  4  4 

5  5!5  5  5 


6  6  6 

7  7  7 
S  8  8  8  8 
9  9   9  9  9 


0  0  0 

1  1  1 

2  2  2 

3  3  3 

4  4  4 

5  5  5 
G  6  6 
7  7  7 


0  0  0 

'ill 

2  2  2 

is  3  -3 
^4  4  4 

5  5   5 

6  6  6 

7  7   7 


0  0  0 

1  1  1 

2  2  2 

3  3  3 

4  4  4 

5  5  5 

6  6  6 

7  7  7 

8  8  8 

9  9  9 


0,0  0  0.0  0 
ijl  1  1:1  1 
2i2  2  2.2  2 
3:3  3  33  3 


4|4  4  4I4  4 

5  5  5:5  5 

6  6  6.6  6 

7  7  7   7  7 

8  8  8:3  6 

9  9  9:9  9 


0  0  0 

1  1    1 

2  2  2 

3  3  3 

4  4  4 

5  5  5 
8  6  6 

7  7  7 

8  8  8 

9  9  9 


0   ; 


Card  for  Hollerith  Machine 


200  OFFICE   PRACTIGE 

SECTION   3 
MISCELLANEOUS   MACHINES 

We  enter  a  building  and  an  elevator  takes  us  to  our  floor.  We 
open  a  door  and  a  bell  announces  us  and  the  door  automatically 
closes  behind  us.  We  walk  to  a  time  clock  and  it  registers  our  time. 
We  take  our  pencils  to  a  machine  and  it  sharpens  them.  We  send 
a  written  message  from  one  floor  to  another  and  it  is  pneumatically 
carried  in  a  tube  to  its  destination,  or  we  have  on  our  desk  a 
machine  upon  which  we  may  write  our  message  and  it  is  auto- 
matically reproduced  instantl}^  on  another  floor  or  in  a  building 
some  blocks  away.  We  write  a  check  and  we  have  machines 
that  perforate  and  protect  it.  We  place  money  in  cash  registers 
and  they  return  to  us  the  correct  change.  We  have  machines  that 
number  books  or  papers  consecutively.  We  have  devices  that 
fasten  papers  together.  We  throw  coins  into  a  hopper  and  a 
machine  sorts,  counts,  packs,  and  discards  mutilated  specimens. 
We  place  envelopes  in  a  machine  and  it  ties  them  into  packages. 
In  other  words,  we  have  elevators,  time  clocks,  pencil  sharpeners, 
Lamson  carriers,  telautographs,  check  perforators  and  protectors,  cash 
registers,  numbering  machines,  paper  fasteners,  coin  counters,  pack- 
age-tiers—  and  still  we  have  glanced  at  but  a  few  of  the  mechanical 
devices  that  are  used  in  the  business  office. 

Our  little  excursion  into  the  business  office  has  shown  us  the 
importance  of  special  machines.  No  effort  has  been  made  here  to 
give  more  than  very  general  descriptions  of  them.  There  are  all 
kinds  of  instruction  booklets  and  manuals  describing  their  mecha- 
nism and  their  operation.  The  companies  selhng  these  machines 
are  very  willing  to  show  how  they  should  be  run.  The  larger 
companies  maintain  service  stations  for  this  very  purpose. 

When  you  find  yourself  called  upon  to  operate  a  machine  of 
which  you  know  nothing,  obtain  a  booklet  of  instructions  and 
study  it  carefully.  If  this  is  not  sufficient,  and  if  your  office  is  not 
in  position  to  give   you  assistance,  call  upon  the  agents  of  the 


OFFICE    TIME   AND    LABOR   SAVERS  201 

machine,  or  telephone  them.  And  always  remember  that  no 
machine  will  do  good  work  if  you  do  not  know  how  to  operate  it 
and  do  not  keep  it  in  good  condition. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

Write  a  brief  composition  stating  why  special  machines  are  more 
necessary  in  the  office  to-day  than  they  were  thirty  years  ago. 

What  machine  in  your  Office  Practice  room  do  you  like  best  to  operate, 
and  why? 

What  machine  do  you  dislike  most,  and  why? 


PART   VII 

OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 

Section  1    Directories 

Business  Directories 

Social  Directories 

Miscellaneous  Directories 
Section  2    Reference  Books 

Dictionaries 

Books  of  General  Information 

SECTION   1 
DIRECTORIES 

The  umbrella  is  needed  only  when  it  rains.  We  do  not  carry  it 
with  us,  but  we  keep  it  where  it  can  be  found  when  wanted.  This  is 
the  case  with  reference  books.  The  business  man  does  not  burden 
his  mind  with  the  memoranda  and  information  not  wanted  at 
the  moment,  but  he  knows  just  where  to  find  them.  He  may,  how- 
ever, be  too  busy  to  obtain  this  information  for  himself,  and  the 
clerk  who  can  relieve  him  of  this  work  is  very  often  the  one  who  is 
surest  of  advancement.  No  kind  of  work  can  surpass  this  in  the 
development  of  initiative. 

The  question  naturally  arises :  What  kinds  of  reference  books 
are  found  in  business  houses?  The  answer  is  simple.  Different 
activities  require  different  kinds  of  books,  and  it  would  be  absurd 
to  expect  any  one  to  be  familiar  with  all ;  but  there  are  general 
reference  books  to  be  found  in  every  office,  and  special  varieties  of 
books  to  be  found  in  very  many  offices,  and  it  is  with  these  types 
that  one  must  be  familiar. 

The  books  used  in  the  average  business  office  may  be  roughly 
classified  as  Directories  and  Reference  Books. 

If  you  want  to  know  the  meaning  of  a  word,  where  do  you 

202 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 


203 


look?  In  the  dictionary.  The  explanation  of  the  tides?  In 
the  eneyclopedia.  Who  sells  what  you  want  to  buy,  and  infor- 
mation regarding  people  and  business  ?     In  the  directory. 

Directories  may  be  divided  into  three  big  groups :  Business, 
Social,  and  Miscellaneous. 

These  are  really  city  catalogues  that  contain  lists  of  everybody 
and  everything  within  a  city.  The  information  contained  in  them 
is  most  accurate,  and  many  business  houses  throughout  the 
country  purchase  directories  of  various  cities,  as  they  are  issued, 
for  the  purpose  of  building  up  their  mailing  lists. 

Business  Directories 

Under  this  classification  come  theGeneral  City,  Classified  Business, 
Copartnership  and  Corporation,  and  Classified  Telephone  Directories. 

General  City  Directories.  —  These  are  alphabetically  arranged 
lists  of  names,  including  addresses  and  occupations,  of  every  one 
over  eighteen  years  of  age ;  widows  and  women  who  carry  on  busi- 
ness ;    names  of  all  business  houses ;    names  of  partners  of  firms 


RENDALIi 

11  Jno    pres    Renalt    Contracting    Corp    h 

Brentwood    N    J 
11  Maud   M    real  est  2129  Hughes  av 
•1  Robt  J   (R  J   Rendall  i   Co)   h  J   C 
REXDALL.    R   J    «fc    CO    (Robert   J 

Rendall,    Louis    Codry   Lepage)    Dress 

Goods    Importers    24S,     4th    av    Tels 

Gramercy    4956-4957 
II  Wm  stone  setter  1221   Gilbert  pi 
1.  Wnn    H    trav   6    W    Faber   Inc   h   Albany 
Rendalls  Cath   (wid  Jos)   h65  Pilte 
11  Roger  A  elk  h65  Pike 
Rendck  Jos   tailor  h426    E67th 
Rendel  Kate  (wid  Hy)  h279.  3d 
II  Louis  chauf  h279,   3d 
11  Max  foreman  r88  Willet 
II  Saml   presser,  h88  Willet 
11  Saml  ctr  h279.  3d 
Reindel  Victor  E  Jeweler  h431   ElS2d 
Rendelia  Sandor  butcher  h355  E95th 
Rendell     Harry     M     plmbr    70     Fulton    h 

Yonkers  N  Y 
11  Jesse  student  r860  E161st 
11  Lester  W   mgr   Warwick   Lace   Works  h 

130   Warfield    Bkn 
M  Moses    R    refiner    134    Chrystle   h8£0    E 

161st 
Rendelstein  David  tailor  195  Chrystle 
M  Morris    opr   h500    Ellth 
Render  Mlchl   elk   h328   E34th 
M  Morris   opr   hl06   Norfolk 
Rendeso   Frank   tailor  hl98  Av   A 
Rendi  Thos  barber  h42  Av  B 
Rendigs  Chas   W   (S   L  Silver  i   Co)    6    E 

32(1 


RE\K 

11  Louise     cashr     Hy     C     Langen     h948 

Houghton     av 
Renke   Ernest   insp  hl511  St  Peters  av 
"  Geo    gro   2030    Bathgate  av 
«  Geo   T   real  est  60   £   Kingsbrldge  rd 
.1  Hector  A    mgr   h381    E139th 

■  •  Marie    (wid   Alf)    hl460   Washn   av 
Renkel   Chas   A   steward   h306   W114th 

11  Jos     v-p-sec     Chas    Cordts    &.    Co     Inc 

h3341   Perry  av 
1'  Theo    A    searcher   h6   \V98th 
"  Wm   A   printer  h672   Tinton  av 
Renken   Chas   elk    h758,    10th  av 
n  Chas    reporter    Dow,    Jones    i.   Co    h432 

Prospect   pi   Bkn 
"  Frank   lab    n94   Brandt  pi 
11  Fredk    v-p    Mumm    Champagne    &    im- 
portation  Co    h572.    1st    Bkn 
"  Geo    tailor    158    W61st 

■  i  Hy    supt    F    Wesel    Mfg   Co  h   Bkn 

.1  Hy  J  insp  Dept  W  S  G  4.  E  hl220  De- 
catur Bkn 

M  Herman  mgr  Meta  Renken  r823,  9tli 
av 

11  Herman   gro   111    Washn 

■  i  Mela    gro    823,    9th    av 

Renker   Chas   C   slsma   h538    ElSOth  ■ 

11  Wm    J   elk    r484    E164th 

Renkin   Abr  tailor   h6   EUTth 

"  Morris   elk   h6   E117th 

■1  Wm   tailor  947   Ogden  av   h211  WI44th 

Reuko  Jacob  pdlr  h490   E141st 

Rcnkoff  Abr  tailor  444  Broome  h65  Wlllett 

1.  Morris    hl62     E4th 

11  Paul   barber  283,    7th   hl72   E4th 

Renkowltz   Adolph    baker   r214    E83d 


204 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


and  officci-s  of  })anks  and  corporations ;  registered  trade  names  and 
their  proprietors. 

They  include  complete  classified  business  directories  arranged  by 
headings  in  alphabetic  order  for  easy  reference ;    accurate  street 


Myers   Jos   G    480    Lex   av    R1221 

Myers  Jos   G   ir  480   Lex   av   R1221 

Naegeli    Furniture   Co  2098.   3(1  av 

Natalie   Michele  331    E114tti 

Nazer  BeDj   146  Av  C 

Neidermau  Gustav  50   Essex 

Nestler  Abr  126,   1st  av 

Neuman  &  Co  417  Mad  av 

New   Idea   Furniture   Trading  Co  369,   3d 

av 
N  Y  Auction   Rooms  2315,   8th  av 
N  Y   Furniture  Co  56  Oak 
N  Y  Sample  Furniture  Co  33  E33d 
Newman    Harry   1585,    2d   av 
Notman  A   H   &   Co  121   W27th 
Nyman    Israel   1971,    2d   av 
OkeQ    Geo    1026,    2d   av 
Olshansky    J    M    136    Essex 
Olshansky   Louis   883   Jennings 
O'Neill-Caldwell   Co  373.   4th   av   R802 
Ornato    Jos    2102,    2d    av 
Ott   Jno    1972,    3d    av 
Owen    D   T   Co   34    E23d 
Packer    BenJ   2366    Westchester   av 
Packer  Israel  2382,   2d  av 
Panken   &.   Co  2002  Webster  av 
Parsont    Bernard   519    W181st 
Parsont  Morris  1895  Amsdm  av 
Pascale  Domlnlck  138  W   Houston 
Pastel  Jacob   1963,    3d  av 
Pasternak   Harry   119,   8th  av 
Pearlman    Harry   119   Allen 
Pester  Saml    156,    1st   av 
Petrosino  Lulgi  41  Spring 
Pion   Bros  40  Av   B 
Piser  &  Co  2887,   3d  av 
Plaza    Furniture   Co   1(^53,   2d  av 
Podolsky    Zelig    194    Delancey 
Polack   Jacob   646.    10th  av 
Pollack    Louis    689,    9th    av 
Pompelan  Garden  Furniture  Co  221  W33a 
Posin   Bros  107   Essex 
Posnick  Morris  104  Essex 
Progress   Furniture   Co  2492,    7th  ay 
Provenzano    Louis    259    E150th 
Pullman  Furniture  Co  2009,  3d  av 
Pye   Hy    B   i    Co   2918,    3d    av 
Rablnovich  Jacob  119  Mulberry 
Raffa  Jno   B  228   Chrystie 
Rand   Hyman   68  Willett 
Randier    Morris    191    Allen 
Reeber's  J  Sons  Co  2595,  3d  av 
Regini  Secondo  189  Varick 
Reinhard    G    P   22    E54th 
Reliable  furniture  Store  1895  Amsdm  av 
Riesik  Isidor  1957,  2d  av 
Hiley-Hogan   Co    Inc  426  W125th 


AVANAMAKER      JOHN     NEW 
YORK    Bway    to    4th    av    Bth    to 

10th    TeJ   Stuyvesant  4700   (See  page 

8) 

Washington  Furniture  Co  1387  St  Nicho- 
las av     / 

Wassermau  Sophia  2430,   2d  av 

Weg  Adolph  1064  So  blvd 

Weiler  M  A   117   W142d 

Weinbrot   Saml  536,    2d   av 

Weintraub   Moses  219   Rivington 

Weisberger  M   &   Co  46  Av  A 

Weisenberg   Morris   174  Av  A 

Weiss  Jacob  1265,    1st  av 

Weissman  Julius  1655,   3d  av 

West   Michigan   Furniture  Co  706,   9th  av 

West   Side   Furniture   Co   162  Sullivan 

Wisconsin  Seating  Co  1476  Bway  R407 

Wolochin  Jos  31  Pike 

Woods   F  T  353.   5th   av  R709 

Wright  Harry   K  T  480  Lex  av  R1012 

Wucher   &.    Klarish    1735    Park   av 

Wugher   Hy  1048   Franklin  av 

Vablonsky  Saml  91   Hester 

Yorkville  Auction   House   1901,   2d  av 

Zaruba  &.   Friedlander  1957,   3d  av 

Zieff   Morris  1582   Park  av 

Ziegel    Kavey  525    E138th 

Zimmerman    Louis    1548,    2d   av 

Zimmerman   Minnie  2621,   3d  av 

Zimmerman    Saml    979    Westchester   av 

Zodikaw   Ludwig   338   Stanton 

Zuccaro   Salvatore   19   Spring 

Zweiman  David  56  Willett 

BROOKLYN 
Lefstein    i    Rosenfeld    1480    Bway   &  ,115 
Mhtn  av 

EVERGREEN    B    0 
SCHWARZ      FREDERICK      J 

JR    1855     Myrtle    av    Tel    Bushwick 
3938, 

JAMAICA    B    0 

GRASMANN     CO     419     Fulton    Tel 
Jamaica  775 

WHITESTONE    B   0 
MULLEN  GEORGE   B   Zeigler  av 
c  Goethe  av  Tel  Flushing  530J 

Fnrniture    Dealers— Second 
Hand 

Abrams  Morris  2631,   3d  av 


guides  and  maps  of  the  city;  and  much  general  information  in 
regard  to  the  organization  of  the  city  departments,  railroads, 
courts,  schools,  churches,  associations,  societies,  institutions,  etc. 
Cross-indexing  is  an  important  feature  of  all  good  directories. 
To   know   where   to   find  a  name,  one  must  first  know  how  its 


OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS 


205 


owner  spells  it.  The  name  Smith  may  be  spelled  by  its  owner  as 
Smyth,  Smythe,  Schmitt,  or  Schmidt.  If  a  furrier  whose  name  you 
believe  to  be  John  Schmitt  is  wanted,  and  he  does  not  appear 
under  the  Schmitt  headings,  find  the  beginning  of  the  heading  and 
ascertain  the  different  spellings  given  to  the  name.  John  Schmitt 
may  prove  to  be  John  Schmidt. 

Again,  in  finding  a  name,  follow  letter  by  letter  the  alphabetizing 
given.  If  the  name  Mechlin  is  wanted,  it  will  be  preceded  by 
combinations  beginning  with  Mea  and  Meb ;  and  when  Mec  is 
reached  finally,  it  will  be  found  that  the  h  in  the  name  itself  will 
be  preceded  by  such  combinations  as  Meca,  Mecb,  Meed,  Mece, 
Mecf,  and  Mecg. 

Classified  Business  Directories.  —  While  directories  of  this 
type  are  usually  included  in  the  general  city  directories,  they  are 
sometimes  published  as  sej^arate  directories.  All  business  houses, 
individuals,  and  professional  men  are  listed  under  the  headings 
that  best  describe  them.  For  a  nominal  charge,  publishers  will  list 
names  in  heavy  type.  Books  of  this  kind  are  published  in  all  cities 
of  any  size.  They  represent,  in  the  real  sense  of  the  word,  buyers' 
directories,  and  the  information  contained  in  them  is  very  accurate. 

Copartnership  and  Corporation  Directories.  — These  are  general 
directories    of    business    firms,    partnerships,    and    corporations 


GOU 


409 


GRA 


Goulden   4    Koch    (Chas  J   Goulden   &   P  Waller   Knch)    ins. 

220    B'way     R    22D 
Goulden    4    Millar   (Chas   I    Goulden    &    Walter    F    Gudeon, 

onlv)    Ins.    220  B'way   R   22F 
Goulds    Mfg    Co   (Seneca    Falls.    N    Y)    Wm    E   Dickey.    N   V 

manager,    pumps.    16   Murray   R   6 
Gouled     Embroidery    Works    (Union     Hill,     N    J)     Felix    G 

Gouled.    N   Y   manager.    W9   B'way   R   1714 
Goulston     Irnesl    J      Advertising     Agency     (RTN)     (Ernest 

J   Goulston)  749   W   End   av 
Goupil    4    Co    (Paris.    France)    art.    Leopold    Dion,    N    Y 

manager,    56   W   45th 
Goussios    Ch    4    Co    (dissolved)    44    Madison 
Gousslos    Ch     4     Co,     Inc     (N     Y)     Christ    Goussios    Pres, 

Peter  Stavlires  Sec.     Capital,   t3,00D.     Directors:   Christ 

Soussios,     Peler    Stavlires.     grocers.     44     Madison 
Goussios'  4    Balfussos    (dissolved)    34    Madison 

vea   A  S  4  Co  (Audifaco  S  Gouvea.   no  Co)   importerc. 


17 

Stale 

K  910 

6ou\ 

r     Buildi 

ng 

1 

nc 

(N 

Y) 

Ge 

r>    Hahn 

Pres.     C 

Be 

tram 

Plante 

Tr 

eas 

Capital. 

$5,000. 

Dire 

ctors 

Ge 

0    Hah 

n.    C    Bertrs 

m 

PI  a 

nte. 

97 

Va 

Iter  R 

210. 

&    1 

Wi 

liam 

R    1202 

Cou\ 

emeu 

Dental 

Pa 

rlo 

(RTN) 

(name 

discont 

nue 

He 

nry 

Gou 

r     Miner 

>l 

Co 

(N 

Y) 

lo 

uis 

S     Begem 

Pres 

Ha 

rn-    C 

Frost     T 

rea 

Phi 

lip 

E 

laq 

Je    Sec. 

Ca 

pital 

$50,000.  Directors-.  Loui 
Phihp  E  Raqup,  Harry  C  Frost.  Jas  J  Donovan.  Fredk 
B  Fuller.  Frederic  C  Marsell.  132  Nassau  R  1212 
Couverneur  Mortgage  Corporat'on  (N  Y)  Edwin  H  Schcvi- 
ber  Pres.  Irving  Woodworth  V-Pres.  Hy  T  Randall  Sec 
Capital.  J500.000.  Directors:  Edwin  H  Scheuber,  Irving 
Woodworth.   Hy   T  Randall.  15fl_B'way  R  25 


H  Grace  Geo  )  Dickinson,  Wm  J  Kurth.  real  estate, 
576.    51h  'av    R   602 

Grace  Institute  (N  Y)  )os  P  Graco  Pres.  Wm  R  Grac» 
Sec,     I     Lo\iis    Schaefer     Treas.     149    W    (0th 

Grace   Institute    (no    Inf)    789.    6th    av 

Grace  Robert.  Contracting  Co  (Pitlsburgh.  Pa)  repre- 
sented   by    Richd    C    Crowlev.    170    B'way    R    1604 

Grace  W  R  4  Co  (Ctl  Ins  P  Grace  Pres.  Fredk  G  Fischer 
Sec.  I  Louis  Sc.iaeter  Treas.  Capital.  $25,000,000. 
Directors:  Mlchl  P  4  Wm  R  4  Jos  P  4  las  W  Grace. 
Edwd  Eyre.  I  Louis  Schaefer.  Lawrence  H  Shearman. 
Maurice   Bouvier.    John   S    Phifps.    7    Hanover  sq 

Grace    i    Co    (Honora    Grace,    no    Co)    gowns.    9    W    Wth 

Gracehull    Realty    Co    (Inoperative)    42    B'way    R    1027 

Gracepek  Trading  Co  (N  Y|  Chas  Pechner  Pres.  Cap- 
ilal.    $1,000;    further  inf  unatiainable.   299  B'way   R   51» 

Graceton  Apartments.  Inc  (N  Y)  Wilfred  M  Thompson 
Pres.  Eug  Foley  V-Prcs.  Capital.  $1,000.  Directors: 
Wilfred    M    Thompson.    Eug    Foley.    154    Nassau    R    409 

Gracia    Publishing    Co    (dissolved)    115    Nassau    R    16 

Gracie  Charles  R.  Inc  (N  Y)  Clias  Deimllng  Pre.s.  Chas 
R  Gracie  Sec.  Capital.  $5,000.  Directors:  Chas  H 
Gracie,  Chas  Delmling,  Edwd  J  Dunn,  decorators,  320. 
5th   av 

Gracie  James.  Co  (RTN)  (Lesiter  F  Gracie)  wood  finishers, 
287.    8th    av 

Graconcourse  Co  (N  Y)  Harry  B  Cn.imbers  Pres.  Fredk 
W  Hottenroth  Treas.  Agnes  M  Dnian  Sec.  Capital. 
JS.OOO  Directors:  Harry  B  Chambers.  Fredk  W  Hot- 
tenroth.   Agnes   M    Dolan.    real    estate.    261    B'way    R   904 

Grad  4  Flax  (Sami  Grad  4  Herman  Flax)  mineral  wa- 
ters.   311.    Jd 

Gradine    Contracting   Co    (N    Y)    (dissolved)    13  Park   ro* 


206 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


John         5765 

Chelsea    9422 

John         3211 

Beeknian4504 

Orchard   5966 

John         2081 

Beeknian2999 

John 

John 

John 


Abeel  A  J  181  Pearl 

Anier  Hair  &  Bristle  Co  Tnc  74,  5th  av 

Beaver  &  Sayctta  254  Pearl 

Block  Bros  281  Pearl 

Blyizan  J  &  Co   33   Lewis 

Broverman  M  &  Son  100   Maiden  la 

Caplan  S  &  Co  284   Pearl 

Cedar  B  03  Maiden  la 

Chesnutt  Cooper  &  Co  100  William 


arranged  alphabetically.  They  give  the  names  of  general  and 
special  partners  in  firms  ;  capital,  officers,  and  directors  of  banks  ; 
business  and  manufacturing  corporations  and  insurance  com- 
panies, and  the  states  under  whose  laws  they  are  incorporated ; 
registered  and  unregistered  trade  names  and  proprietors  ;  and  the 
foreign  firms  doing  business  in  the  territory  covered  by  the  direc- 
tories, with  the  locations  of  their  home  offices  and  the  names  of 
their  American  representatives  or  agents. 

These  books  are  published  as  separate  directories  only  in  New 

York  City.    In  other 
Bristles,  parts  of  the  country 

the  information  is 
included  in  the  gen- 
eral city  directories. 
Notice  the  method 
of  arranging  the  in- 
formation presented. 
Classified  Tele- 
phone Directories. — 
These  books  contain 
classified  lists  of  busi- 
ness houses  that  are 
subscribers  to  the 
local  telephone  serv- 
ice, arranged  in  al- 
phabetical order  un- 
der their  respective 
business  headings. 
As  buyers'  guides 
they  are  most  valu- 
able. By  simply 
turning  to  the  head- 
ing describing  the 
article  or  service 
desired,  one  can  find 


John 
John 
John 
Broad 


2940 


Franklin  3522 
John  3890 
Beekinan2547 
MadSq    3861 


Broad  5976 
Beekmfin2745 
Broad  5976 
Beekman3557 
Beek  man  3557 
John  5297 
John  2577 
Cortland  2934 
Cortland  2934 
Beekman    600 


470 
5023 

1997  1 

1998  }  Cone  Fredk  H  176  Front 

1999  J 
1044      Conheim  Hermann  70 ',4   Pine 

Edclmann  Elias  27   Front 
Ooldstone   Joseph    335    Bway 

Hamburger  H  177   Pearl 
Huesmann  &  Co  47  Cliff 

JARDINE,    MATHESON 

LTD*  25   Madison  av 
Levy  Nathan  116  Broad 
Marks  !(  Goodkin  295  Pearl 
Mistern  Import  Co  116  Broad 
Nositzer  Barnet  307   Pearl 
Nositzer  Maurice  P  307   Pearl 
Polack   Co   The   Inc   249    Pearl 
Shapiro  B  J  56  Pine 
Smith  A  C  130   Fulton 
Toye  Samuel  &  Co  130  Fulton 
Von  Stade  F  W  73  Beekman 


&    CO. 


BroherSf  General, 

(See   Business  Brokers,   also  Merchandise  Brokers.) 

Brokers,  Insurance, 

(See  Insurance  Brokers  and  Agents.) 

Brokers,  Mining, 

(See  Mining   Agents  and  Brokers.) 

Brokers,  Stock, 

(See  Stock  Brokers.) 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS  207 

the  name  of  an  individual  or  a  firm  ready  to  serve  the  prospective 
purchaser.  Notice  the  cross-indexing  method  used  when  referring 
to  business  activities  known  under  different  names. 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

General  City  Directory 

1.  Give  the  street  addresses  of  your  largest  university  or  college,  high 
school,  pubUc  Ubrary,  city  or  town  haU,  art  or  natural  history  museum, 
general  city  hospital,  police  headquarters,  and  dry-goods  store. 

2.  Name  the  street  or  elevated  railroad,  subway,  or  trolley  that  will 
convey  you  in  the  shortest  possible  time  to  each  of  the  above  buildings 
from   your  school. 

3.  Give  the  names  and  home  addresses  of  the  City  Surveyor,  the 
Sheriff,  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  the  Corporation  Counsel, 
the  President  of  the  Board  of  Health,  and  the  President  of  the  Board  of 
Education. 

4.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  of  your  general  city  directory. 

5.  As  an  exercise  in  alphabetizing,  select  the  first  four  names  in  your 
general  city  directory  beginning  with  the  following  letters  :  Me,  Ma,  Mab, 
Mac,  Mad,  Mae,  Maf,  Mag,  Mah,  Mai,  Maj,  Mak,  Mai,  Mam,  Man, 
Map,  Maq,  Mar,  Mas,  Mat,  Mau,  Mav,  Maw,  Max,  May,  Maz.  Trans- 
fer this  list  of  names  to  cards,  placing  the  surnames  first.  Shuffle  the  pack 
of  cards  and  then  rearrange  alphabetically. 


Classified  Business  Directory 

1.  Give  the  names  and  addresses  of  five  firms  classified  under  each  of 
the  following  headings  :  printers,  lawyers,  builders,  exporters,  architects, 
and  real  estate. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  cross-indexing? 

3.  Name  the  different  headings  under  which  the  brokerage  houses  of 
your  city  are  classified. 

4.  Give  the  name  of  the  bank  located  nearest  to  your  place  of  resi- 
dence. 

5.  Name  the  street  or  streets  upon  which  your  school  is  located,  and 
state  where  those  streets  begin  and  end. 

6.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  and  order  of  arrangement  of  the  gen- 
eral business  directory  you  are  using. 


208  OFFICE    PRACTICE 

Corporation  and  Copartnership  Directory 

1.  Give  the  names  and  addresses  of  two  of  your  most  prominent  banks 
and  street  car  companies,  including  their  officers  and  their  business 
addresses. 

2.  Select  five  firms  or  corporations  doing  business  in  your  city,  opposite 
whose  names  you  are  able  to  find  the  state  under  which  they  are  incor- 
porated. 

3.  What  is  the  meaning  of  RTN  when  placed  after  a  firm  name? 

4.  Select  five  firms  after  whose  names  you  find  the  letters  TN. 

5.  Enumerate  the  points  to  be  remembered  in  using  a  corporation  or 
copartnership  directory. 

6.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  and  order  of  arrangement  of  the  sec- 
tion in  your  directory  devoted  to  copartnerships  and  corporations. 


Classified  Telephone  Directories 

1.  Give  the  names,  addresses,  and  telephone  numbers  of  two  phy- 
sicians and  dentists  whose  offices  are  located  nearest  to  your  school. 

2.  Give  the  names,  addresses,  and  telephone  numbers  of  the  hospi- 
tal, fire  house,  and  poUce  station  located  nearest  to  your  large  public 
library. 

3.  An  accident  happens  and  a  plumber  is  needed  immediately  in  your 
home.  Select  one  whose  business  is  within  easy  walking  distance  of  your 
residence. 

4.  What  is  the  value  of  a  classified  telephone  directory? 

5.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  of  the  one  you  are  using. 


Social  Directories 

What  are  known  as  social  directories  are  of  various  kinds.  We 
have  social  registers,  club  lists,  and  blue  books.  These  are  really 
lists  of  prominent  or  fashionable  individuals,  households,  clubs,  etc., 
arranged  in  the  most  convenient  form  for  reference  by  people  in- 
terested. 

One  of  the  best  known  books  of  the  latter  type,  published  in  many 
of  the  principal  cities  of  the  United  States,  is  Dau's  Blue  Book.  It 
contains  (a)  an  arrangement  by  names  and  addresses  of  people 
residing  in  the  more  expensive  sections  of   cities,  and    (6)  an 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 


209 


arrangement  by  streets  and  street  numbers  of  the  same  names  and 
addresses. 

Books  of  this  type  are  popular  with  business  houses  transacting 
business  with  people  of  wealth  or  prominence.  For  example, 
a  furrier,  wishing  to  reach  a  large  circle  of  people,  will  use  the 
lists  compiled  by  names ;  while  a  florist,  wishing  to  develop  local 
trade,  will  use  the  lists  compiled  by  streets.  These  books  also 
contain  theater  diagrams  and  some  miscellaneous  information. 

The  following  illustrate  the  two  methods  of  listing  names  : 


NEW  YORK  CITY 


Names 


Numbers 


Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 

Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 

Adams, 


Adams, 


Adams, 

Adams, 
Adams, 
Adams, 

Adams, 
Adams, 


Mr.  A.  B.,  Ritz-Carlton 

Mrs.  A.  F.,  375  Park  ave. 

Miss  Agnes,  169W91 

Mr&Mrs  Ambrose  R.,  375  Park  ave. 

Miss  Alma  F.  Adams 

Judge&Mrs  Andrew,  572  Mad.  ave. 

Mrs.  C,  200W54 

Dr&Mrs  Calvin  Thaver,  43E5S 

Dr&Mrs  Charles,  3E84 

Mr&Mrs  Charles,  646W158 

Dr.  Charles  F.,  104 W73 

Mr.  D.,  28W26 

Mr&Mrs  Daniel  C,  201 W55 

Mr&Mrs  E.  L.,  158W58 

Mrs.  E.  McKee,  137E73 

Dr&Mrs  Edward,  300  Central  Park, 

W. 
Mr&Mrs  Edward  Dean,  455  Madison 

ave. 
Miss  Ruth  Adams 
Mr.  Elbridge  L.,  35E30 
Miss  Emily  Adams 
Mr.  William  H.  Adams 
Mr.  Elbridge  Adams,  2d 
Miss  Evangeline  S.,  1003-4  Carnegie 

Hall 
Mrs.  Frances,  337W84 
Mr&Mrs  Fred.,  1  SOW 92 
Rev&Mrs  Fred  Winslow,  120W76 
Mrs.  T.  P.  Adams 
Mr.  G.  B.,  Hotel  BoUeclaire 
Mr&Mrs  George  B.,  725  Riverside  dr. 


FIFTH  AVENUE— (Con.) 

807  KNICKERBOCKER  CLUB 

Mr.  Henry  F.  Eldridge 

Comdr.  Lewis  J.  Clark 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  R.  Fearing 

Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  R.  Fearing,  Jr. 

Mr.  Stuyvesant  Le  Roy 

Mr.  S.  W.  Pomeroy 

Mr.  Edwin  Main  Post 

Lieut.  Joe  R.-  P.  Pringle 

Mr.  Thomas  Slidell 

Mr.  Maxwell  Stevenson 

Mr.  Robert  B.  Van  Cortlandt 

Mr.  Worthington  Whitehouse 

810  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Hamilton  Fish 

811  Mrs.  Francis  L.  Loring 

812  Mrs.  George  C.  McMurtry 

813  Mrs.  Hugh  J.  Chisholm 
815  Mrs.  Frederick  Baker 

815  Dr.  &  Mrs.  John  S.  Thacher 
817  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Raymond  Hoagland 

824  Mrs.  James  Powell  Kernichan 

825  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Clifford  V.  Brokaw 

820  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Henry  Mortimer  Brooks 

833  Mr.  &  Mrs.  William  Guggenheim 

834  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Frank  Jav  Gould 

834  Miss  Henrietta  Kelly 

835  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Frederick  Lewisohn 

836  Mrs.  Isidor  Wormser 

838  Mrs.  William  Watts  Sherman 
840  Mrs.  John  Jacob  Astor 

844  Miss  Elizabeth  Kean 

845  Mr.  Grant  Barney  Schley 
845  Mr  &  Mrs.  Kenneth  B.  Schley 

852  Col.  Oliver  H.  Payne 

853  Mrs.  John  E.  Parsons 

854  Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  Grant  Ma^on 

856  Judge  &  Mrs.  Elbert  H.  Gary 

857  Mr.  &  Mrs.  George  J.  Gould 

858  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Thomas  Ryan 

871  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Harry  Payne  Whitney 
875  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Daniel  Gray  Reid 


210 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


PROVIDENCE   AND   ROCHESTER 


Numbers 
ADELAIDE  AVENUE 

43  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  A.  Church 

44  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph  E.  C.  Farnham 
50  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Grafton 
57  Mrs.  Joseph  O.  Earle 

69  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert  J.  Astle 
79  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Y.  Stites 
166  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horace  E.  Remington 
172  Mr.  Horace  Remington 
181  Mrs.  Frances  T.  Daughaday 

181  Mrs.  George  Nicholson 

182  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  R.  Dennis 
196  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter  P.  Sweet 
203  Mr.  and  Mrs.  William  P.  Otis 

210  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  O.  Hinkel 

211  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lodowick  H.  Tillinghast 

212  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Herbert  C.  Harris 
216  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bradbury  Leonard 

Barnes 
222  Mr.  Llewellyn  G.  Angell 
222  Mr.  James  C.  Collins 
225  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calvin  Dean 
232  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Albert  L.  Morrison 

238  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  C.  Arnold 

239  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  E.  Hancock 
251  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwin  D.  Allen 

ADELPHI  AVENUE 

12  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clarence  R.  Howe 
15  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Everett  L.  Spencer 
23  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  L.  Slader 


Names 

Keller,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emil  E. 
(Ella  Miller) 
"  Colnos,"     7000    East    avenue, 
Pittsford,  N.  Y. 
Clubs,   Mr.   11-41-44;    also  Detroit 
Club,  Detroit  Boat  Club,  Detroit 
Athletic  Club,  Detroit  Engineering 
Society,    Detroit   Board   of   Com- 
merce,    American     Society     Me- 
chanical      Engineers,       N.       Y. ; 
American  Institute  Electrical  En- 
gineers,   N.  Y. ;    Engineers   Club, 
N.    Y. ;     American     Society    Ad- 
vancement   of  Science,    Washing- 
ton,  D.   C. ;     Duquesne   Club   of 
Pittsburgh,    Pa.  ;     and    Oakmont 
Country  Club  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Keller,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fernando  J. 
(Rose  Meinhard) 
926  South  avenue 
Clubs,  Mr.  7-11-41 
Mr.  Bert  D.  Keller 
Mr.  Alexander  W.  Keller 
Miss  Susie  Marie  Keller 
Keller,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Michael 
(Minnie  Henry) 
1023  South  avenue 
Clubs,  Mr.  7-33-41 
Mr.  Clifford  Keller  (Cornell) 


SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

1.  Give  the  names  and  addresses  of  five  families  in  your  city  whose 
wealth  and  social  connections  have  made  them  prominent. 

2.  Give  the  names  and  addresses  of  two  of  your  largest  hotels,  clubs, 
private  schools,  and  theaters. 

3.  You  expect  to  open  a  tea  room  in  your  city.  Select  your  location, 
state  why  it  appeals  to  you,  and  name  the  sources  from  which  you  expect 
to  draw  your  trade. 

4.  Describe  briefly  the  kinds  of  information  to  be  found  in  your  blue- 
books  and  society  registers. 

5.  A  construction  company  is  operating  a  steam  driU  at  night  in  the 
neighborhood  of  your  most  prominent  hospital.  Give  the  names  and 
addresses  of  ten  residents  who  Uve  within  a  block  of  the  hospital  and  who 
will  join  its  officials  in  an  appeal  to  the  Board  of  Health. 

6.  Using  your  social  directory  theater  diagram,  write  to  one  of  your 
theaters  for  seats  you  wish  to  reserve  for  some  particular  performance. 

7.  What  residences  or  places  of  business  adjoin  your  most  prominent 
club? 


OFFICE    REFERENCE    BOOKS 


211 


Miscellaneous  Directories 

Books  of  this  type  are  too  numerous  to  discuss  fully  here.  A  few 
will  suffice  to  show  how  varied  they  are  in  scope :  General  Tele- 
phone,  Trade,  Professional,  and  Institutional. 

General  Telephone  Directories.  —  In  the  larger  cities,  the 
telephone  companies  revise  and  issue  directories  about  three  times 
a  year.  They  contain  alphabetically  arranged  lists  of  subscribers, 
giving  their  addresses  and  telephone  numbers.  They  also  con- 
tain much  general  information  of  value  to  the  subscriber  —  Long 
Distance  rates  to  well-known  cities,  locations  of  public  telephone 
stations,  etc.  Here  are  illustrations  from  the  telephone  directories 
used  in  New  York  City  and  its  suburbs. 


CITY 


Morgan  F  P  Inc,  Plstrers,  563  Mott  ar  Melrose      835 

Morgan  F  W,  r,  131  River  dr Schuyler   3636 

Morgan  Frank,  r,  53  E  78 Lenox       4643 

Morgan  Oeo,  r,  2338  UniveTSify  av..  Fordham   2475-M 

•  Morgan  Cfeo  E,  Lawyer.  59  Wall..  Harwyer    8030 

Morgan  Geo  E,  r,  122  Waverly  pi Spring      6749 

Morgan  Geo  J,  r,  370  W  29 Chelsea     7639 

Morgan  Geo  W,  Lawyer,  32  Liberty..  John         4208 

Morgan  Geo  W,  r,  310  W  73 Colmbus    3563 

Morgan  Mis3  Ceraldine  W,  r,  350  W  14  Chelsea     4661 

Morgan  H,   Real  Estate,   39  W  16..  Chelsea     7627 

Morgan  H  C,  206  Bway Cortland   4239 

Morgan  H  R,  r,  144  W  105 RIvrside    6320 

Morgan  H  W.  r,  96  Haven  av Audbon     7254 

Morgan  Harry  0.  ElasticWcb,377Bway  Franklin  3789 

Morgan  J.  Ins,  73  Maiden  la John         3946 

Morgan  J,  r,   700  West  End  av Rivrside    1206-R 

Morgan  Mis3   J,   r,   247   E    52 Plaza        3017 

Morgan  Mrs  J  B,  r,  40  E  38 Mury  Hil  3535 

Morgan  J   Canby,    1382   Bway Greeley     2542 

Morgan  J  P,  r,  71  W  88 Rivrside    6489 

•  Morgan  J  P  &  Co,  Bnkrs,  23  Wall.  Hanover    5180 
Morgan  J  Pierpont,  Library.  33  E  36  Mury  Hil        2 

•  Morgan  J  Pierpont  Jr,  r,231Mad  av  Mury  Hil      93 

Garage,  211  Mad  av Mury  Hil  4084 

Morgan  J  S  Jr,  r,  123  E  36.. Mury  Hil      73 

Morgan  J  W,  Advtg  Agency,  44  E  23  Gramrcy    3177 

Morgan  James,   Lumber,   42  Bway...  Broad       6423 

Morgan  Jas  J,  31   Pine John         4585 

Morgan  Jas  L  &  Co,  25  Broad Broad       6410 

Morgan  Jay  H,  Architect,  331  Mad  av  Mury  Hil  4966 

Morgan  John,  ImpI  MinIWtrs,343\V39  Bryant        226 

Morgan  John  &  Son,    Art  Class,  6 1  E  9  Styresnt      251 


212 


OFFICE    PRACTICE 


SUBURBAN 


■y^Designates  Private  Branch 
Exchange  System. 


Brown  Atlee,  Expert,  Broad RedBank  677 

Brown  Atlee,  RatingExpert,19EBlcl(weI  Dover  94 

Brown  B,   Confecy,   603   Harrison  av.  Harrisori  5467 

Brown  Mrs  B,  Midwife,  Florida  Orv  rd  PerthAmb  707W 

Brown  Mrs  B,Midwlfe,219  N  Bruns  av  PerthAmb  1613J 

Brown  B  D,    Garage,   Broad ,..  Keyport  157 J 

Brown  B  D,  r,  Bergenfleld,  NJ Diintont  199W 

Brown  B  F,  Saloon,  214-3d Elizabeth  417J 

Brown  Mrs  B  H,  r,  21  Rutgers  pi Passaic  3034W 

Brown  B  S,  r,  184   Vrecland  av Nutley  956J 

•  Brown  Ben  B,  ElecContr, 12  Mechnc  Market  2811 

Brown  BenJ,   r,    73  Washington Bloomfld  3280  J 

Brown  Benj  B,  r,  259  N  5 BranchBk  1065 

Brown  Benj  F  S,  Rl  Est,  W  Front..  Keyport  137 

Brown  Benj  F  S,  r,  94  Main Matawan  274 

Bitiwn  Mrs    Berta,    Grocery,    Leonardo  At! Hilndj  87 

Brown  Bros,   Grocers, 122   Rahway  av.  Roosevelt  320 

Brown  Bros,   Grocers,   21   Wright. ...  Waverly  2009 

Brown  Bros,   Grocers,   182  Bway. . . .  SoAmboy  206 

Brown  Bros,  Parquet  Firs,  136  N  13  BranchBk  270 

Brown  Bros,    Silk,   Hamilton   Mill . . .  Paterson  4541W 

Brown  Burr  R,  r,  150  N  Mtn  av. . . .  Montclair  316 

Browne  A,  r,   248  S  Broad. Elizabeth  1154 J 

Browne  C,  r,  Franklin,  NJ FklinFiim  26 

Browne  Clayton,  r,  55  Penna  av...  Waverly  7568 J 

Brown  C   E,    Sussex Sussex  31F56 

Browne  F,  r,  173  Summit  a?,  UM..  Montclair  336 J. 

Brown  e  F,  t,  44  Harrison Morirtwn  574W 

Brown  C  H,  r,  185  Glenwood  av,  EC. .  Oranoe  1255W 

Brown  C  H,  r,  46  Beech Ruthrford  692W 

Brown  C  H,  r,   219-2d Union  1651M 

Blown  C  K,  r,  32  Ridge  rd Ruthrford  366B 

Browne  L,  r,   170  Bloomfleld  av...  Montclair  4075 J 

Brown  C  L,  r,  28  Cottage SoOrange  87  R 


Trade,  Professional,  and  Institutional  Directories.  —  Under  this 
heading  come  the  special  types  of  professional  and  trade  directories 
—  directories  of  directors,  banks,  lawyers,  publishers,  physicians, 
dentists,  real  estate  dealers,  dress  and  suit  manufacturers,  lumber 
houses,  etc. 

The  illustrations  on  pages  213-214  show  the  kinds  of 
information  contained  in  some  books  of  this  type.  The  lawyer, 
the  physician,  the  bank,  the  real  estate  man,  and  the 
manufacturer  purchase  and  use  these  books.  Notice  the  amount 
of  general  information  compiled  in  them  and  how  useful  this  in- 
formation is  to  any  one  interested  in  a  particular  person  or  busi- 
ness organization. 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 


213 


1670 


Texas 


(1914)    POLK'S    MEDICAL    REGISTER 


and  Am  Med  Assn;  Med  Ex- 
amr  Amarillo  Natl.  South- 
land, Amicable,  ^tna  and 
Prudential  Life  Ins  Cos;  Spe- 
cialty, Gynecology  and  Sur- 
gery. 

Edwards  Alvin  T,  262,   1874. 

Owens  Robert  S.  § 

Todd    Charles^  (R),    130,    1896. 

Todd  Jane  M   (R),   134,   1898. 

Dallas,  Dallas.     105,913. 
No  of   Physicians,    ^70. 

Addy  E   E.    305L,    1913. 

Anderson  John  W  (R),  302,'85 
1718  Jackson. 

Anderson  Monroe,*  807  S  Car- 
roll av. 

Anthony  Frank  H  (H).  131, 
1893.    635    Wilson    bidg. 

Armstrong  Verne  P  (R>,  158, 
1876,    1001    Main. 

Arndt  Daniel  C  (Eel),  262,  '02, 
1717'  Richardson   av. 

ARNOLD  THEO  L  E  (R), 
Univ  of  Berne,  1875.  and  Zu- 
rich, Switzerland,  1885:  At- 
tended Munich,  Strasburg. 
Prague,  1886-1900;  Interne 
Eye  Hosp  of  the  Univ  of 
Zurich,  Switzerland.  and 
House  Surg  at  Prof  Haab's 
Private  Eye  Hosp.  Zurich; 
Late  Prof  of  Ophthalmology, 
Otology  and  Laryngology 
Med  Dept  Univ  of  Dallas; 
Mem  Staff  St  Paul's  Sani- 
tarium; Examng  Phys  Swiss 
Benevolent  Assn;  Practice 
Limited  to  Eye,  Ear.  Nose 
and  Throat;  Office  601  Wll- 
son^Bldg. 


Blair  J  C  (R),  158,  1892.  423 
Wilson   bldg. 

Bland  Leonard  P  (R),  304,  '04, 
4530   Bryan. 

Block  Cecil  (R),  305P,  1909. 
318  Wilson  bldg. 

BLOUNT  EDWARD  A.  JR 
(R),  Coll  of  Phys  and  Surgs 
in  the  City  of  N  Y,  1896; 
Special  Course  in  Skin  Dis- 
eases, Paris,  Berlin  and 
London,  1897  to  1899;  Visit- 
ing Dermatologist  to  Char- 
ity Hosp  N  O;  Clinical  In- 
structor in  Skin  Diseases  N 
O  Polyclinic;  Asst  Lecturer 
on  Dermatology  Tulane  Univ, 
New  Orleans,  1899  to  1901; 
Dermatologist  to  Baptist 
Memorial  Sanitarium;  Prof 
of  Dermatology  in  Baylor 
Univ,  Coll  of  Med.  1901 
to  1911;  Practice  Limited  to 
Skin  and  Genito-Urinary  Dis- 
eases; Office  Hours  10  a  m 
to  12  m,  3-5  p  m;  Tel  Main 
4707,    Suite   422   Wilson   Bldg. 

BLUITT  BENJAMIN  E,  M  D 
(R),  Meharry  Med  Coll, 
Nashville.  Tenn,  1888;  Phila 
Polyclinic  Hosp,  1901;  Mem 
Lone  Star  Med,  Dental  and 
Pharmaceutical  Assn  of  Tex- 
as; Surg-in-Chief  Bluitt  San- 
itarium. Dallas;  Office  2411% 
Main:   Tel  Main  518 

Bohm  Aron  E.  269A.  1907.  603 
Southwestern    Life    bldg. 

BOURLAND  J  WILBUR.  M  D 
(R)  Coll  of  Phys  and  Surgs. 
N     Y     City.     1895;     Elizabeth 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

General  Telephone  Directory 

1.  Give  tlie  names,  addresses,  and  telephone  numbers  of  two  well- 
known  milliners,  dressmakers,  men's  tailors,  women's  tailors,  insurance 
companies,  real  estate  firms,  wholesale  grocers,  and  florists  in  your  city. 

2.  What  pubhc  telephone  stations  are  located  nearest  to  your  school 
and  nearest  to  your  residence  ? 

3.  Give  the  charge  for  a  five-minute  long  distance  telephone  conver- 
sation between  your  city  and  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  Boston,  Mass.,  Chi- 
cago, 111.,  Washington,  D.  C,  Fall  River,  Mass.,  Portland,  Ore.,  Montreal, 
Que.,  Atla^jta,  Ga.,  San  Francisco,  Cal. 

4.  How  will  you  decide  whether  a  city  to  be  telephoned  to  is  long 
distance  or  suburban? 

5.  How  often  is  your  city  telephone  directory  issued? 

6.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  of  your  city  telephone  directory. 


214 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


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OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS  215 

Trade,   Professional,  and  Institutional  Directories 

1.  State  briefly  why  professional,  institutional,  and  trade  directories 
are  valuable. 

2.  Describe  briefly  the  contents  of  one  of  each  of  the  above  types  of 
directories  used  in  your  city. 


SECTION  2 
REFERENCE  BOOKS 

A  book  of  reference  may  be  judged  by  its  index.  Study  its 
index  and  you  will  have  a  very  clear  idea  of  its-  character,  the 
numbers  and  kinds  of  subjects  treated,  and  the  care  with  which  it  is 
indexed.  Every  representative  city  in  the  United  States  has  its 
appropriate  business  journals,  almanacs,  and  year  books ;  and  every 
city  may  avail  itself  of  certain  general  kinds  of  credit  rating 
books,  gazetteers,  atlases,  biographies,  dictionaries,  and  cable 
codes. 

The  reference  books  that  interest  us  may  be  divided  into  two 
groups  :  Dictionaries  and  Books  of  General  Information. 

Dictionaries 

Two  very  different  kinds  of  dictionaries  find  a  place  in  every  busi- 
ness office.  The  first  is  the  one  with  which  we  are  all  familiar  — 
which  simply  explains  the  meanings  of  words.  The  second  is  one 
with  which  we  may  not  be  so  familiar,  —  in  which  the  ^^ords  and 
phrases  of  the  language  are  classed  according  to  the  ideas  which 
they  express  and  not  according  to  their  orthography. 

This  latter  type  of  dictionary  is  called  a  thesaurus  —  a  Greek 
word  meaning  a  storehouse  or  place  where  treasure  is  placed.  In 
this  sense,  it  is  a  repository  of  words  or  knowledge.  A  book  of 
this  kind  is  indispensable  to  the  business  man,  the  professional 
man,  —  in  fact,  to  any  one  who  realizes  the  importance  of  writing 
or  speaking  with  precision  and  effectiveness. 

Business   success   very   frequently   depends   upon   ideas,    and 


216 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


ideas  are  expressed  by  means  of  the  spoken  or  the  written  word. 
Perfection  of  language  is  a  matter  of  long  and  continued 
practice.  To  those  who  are  struggling  with  the  difficulties  of 
composition,  and  all  of  us  are,  a  thesaurus  will  be  found  most 
helpful. 

In  our  regular  dictionary  the  word  is  given,  followed  by  the 
signification  or  the  idea  it  is  intended  to  convey.  In  a  thesaurus, 
the  idea  is  given,  followed  by  the  word  or  words  by  which  that  idea 
may  be  most  fitly  and  aptly  expressed. 

The  following  illustration  from  Roget^s  Thesaurus  will  indicate 
the  method  of,  classification : 


1.4 


QUANTITY 


45  —  51 


cement,  glue,  gum,  paste,  size,  wafer,  solder,  lute,  putty,  birdlime,  mortar, 
stucco,  plaster,  grout;  viscum. 

shackle,     in  &c.  {means  of  restraint)  752;  prop  &c.  (support)  215. 
V.  bridge  over,  span;  connect  &c.  43;  hang  &c.  214., 


46.  Coherence.  —  N.  co-,  ad-her- 
once,  -hcsion,  -hesiveness;  concretion, 
accretion;  con-,  ag-glutination,  -glom- 
eration;  aggregation;  consolidation,  set, 
cementation;  sticking,  soldering  &c.  v.; 
connection;  dependence. 

tenacity,  toughness;  stickiness  &c. 
352;  insepara-bility,  ■  -bleness;  bur, 
remora. 

conglomerate,  concrete  &c.  (densitrj) 
321. 

V.  cohere,  adhere,  stick,  cling,  cleave, 
hold,  takc'hold  of,  hold  fast,  close  with, 
clasp,  hug*  grow  -,  hang-  together; 
twine  round  &c.  (join)  43. 

stick  like  -a  leech,  -  wax;  stick  close; 
cling  like  -ivy,  -  a  bur;  adhere  like  -a  remora,  -  Dejanira's  shirt. 

glue;  ag-,  con-glutinate;  cement,  lute,  paste,  gum;  solder,  weld;  cake,  con- 
solidate &c.  {solidifij)  321 ;  agglomerate. 

Adj.  CO-,  ad-hesive,  -hering&c.  v.;  tenacious,  tough;  sticky  &c.  352. 

united,  unscparated,  sessile,  inseparable,  inextricable,  infrangible;  compact 
&c.  (dense)  321. 


47.  [Want  of  adhesion,  nonadhe-  - 
sion,  immiscibility.]  Incoherence.  — 
N.  nonadhesion;  immiscibility;  incoher- 
ence; looseness  &c.  adj.;  laxity;  relaxa- 
tion; loosening  &c.  v.;  freedom;  disjunc- 
tion &c.  44;  rope  of  sand. 

V.  make  -loose  &c.  adj.;  loosen, 
slacken,  relax;  un-glue  &c.  46;  detach 
&c.  (di.sjoin)  44. 

Adj.  nonadhesive,  immiscible;  inco- 
herent, detached,  loose,  baggy,  slack, 
lax,  relaxed,  flapping,  streaming;  dishev- 
eled; segregated,  like  grains  of  sand; 
un-consolidated  &c.  231,  -combined  &c. 
48;  noncohesive. 


48.  Combination.  —  N.  combina- 
tion; mixture  &c.  41;  junction  &c.  43; 
union,  unification,  synthesis,  incorpora- 
tion, amalgamation,  embodiment,  coa- 
lescence,  crasis,   fusion,    blending,   ab- 


49.  Decomposition.  —  N.  decompo- 
sition, analysis,  dissection,  resolution, 
catalysis,  dissolution;  corruption  &c. 
(uncleanness)  653;  dispersion  &c.  73; 
disjunction  &c.  44;  disintegration. 


OFFICE    REFERENCE    BOOKS  217 

SUGGESTIVE    EXERCISES 

1.  What  is  a  thesaurus  and  what  kind  of  information  does  it 
contain  ? 

2.  Give  a  hst  of  words  expressing  opposite  ideas  to  those  listed  below  : 
equality,  disorder,  combination,  assemblage,  sequence,  remainder,  exclu- 
sion, success,  change,  agreement,  truth. 

3.  Why  should  strict  accuracy  regulate  the  use  of  our  language? 

4.  Has  a  thesaurus  any  place  in  the  business  office?  State  reasons 
for  your  opinion. 

Books  of  General  Information 

Under  this  classification  come  Biographies,  Business  Journals, 
Credit  Rating  Books,  Gazetteers,  Almanacs,  Atlases,  Year  Books, 
Cable  Codes,  and  Postal  Guides. 

Biographies.  - —  A  prominent  business  man  is  asked  to  meet  a 
well-known  writer.  The  meeting  will  take  place  in  less  than  two 
hours.  The  business  man  is  not  familiar  with  the  history  or  the 
literary  achievements  of  the  writer.  Where  is  he  likely  to  obtain 
this  information? 

Who's  Who  in  America  and  Who's  Who,  the  English  edition,  are 
two  books  that  will  give  this  busy  man  just  such  information. 
They  aim  to  give  brief,  crisp,  personal  sketches  of  notable  men 
and  women  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  whose  position  or  achieve- 
ment makes  them  of  general  interest.  They  tell  just  the  things 
every  intelligent  person  wants  to  know  about  those  who  are 
most  conspicuous  in  every  reputable  walk  of  life  —  birthplace, 
age,  parentage,  education,  degrees,  position,  and  achievement ; 
politics,  societies,  clubs,  business,  profession,  occupation,  or  mar- 
riage ;  in  short,  the  chief  features  of  each  career. 

The  names  in  these  books  include  men  and  women  of  special 
prominence  in  creditable  lines  of  effort,  who  are  therefore  sub- 
jects of  extensive  interest,  inquiry,  or  discussion ;  and  those  who 
are  arbitrarily  included  on  account  of  official  position  —  civil, 
military,  naval,  religious,  or  educational  —  or  their  connection 
with  the  most  exclusive  learned  or  other  societies. 


218  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

The  following  illustrations  from  the  American  and  English  edi- 
tions will  show  the  kinds  of  information  furnished. 

^      -      ^  W  -  Sill  -"^    •  rt 

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O 


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JT-O 


Wl   t«    . 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 


210 


ENGLISH    EDITION 

MARCON.  Rev.  Charles  Atody,  M.A.,  i 
Master  of  Marcon's  Hall,  Oxftfrd,  since  1891  ; 
b.  1853  ;  3rd  s.  of  Rev.  W.  Marcon  (Rector  of 
Edgetield,  Norfolk,  Eton,  Wor^iester  Coll.  Ox- 
ford ;  in  Eton  and  Oxford  eleven  ;  well-known 
bowler) ;  m.  Sophia  Wyndham,  e  d.  of  J.  J. 
Winter,  J.P.,  Drayton  Lodge,  Norwich,  1884  ; 
one  s.  two  d.  Educ. :  Gresham  School,  Holt,  Nor- 
folk ;  Charaley's  Hall,  Oxford  ;  transferred  to  St. 
Mary  Hall,  1891 ;  Oriel  College,  1902.  Deacon, 
1886  ;  Priest,  1895.  Publications :  edited  Ox- 
ford Questions  in  Arithmetic  and  Algebra.  Re- 
creations :  golfing,  bicycling.  Address :  Marcon 
Hall,  Oxford. 

MARCONI,  Guglielmo,  Hon.  D.Sc. 
Oxford,  Hon.  LL.D.  Glasgow,  1904;  elec- 
trical engineer;  b.  Bologna  (mother  an 
Irishwoman),  25  April  1874 ;  m.'  1905,  Hon. 
Beatrice  O'Brien,  d.  of  14th  Baron  Inchiqum  ; 
one  s.  one  d.  Educ.  :  Leghorn,  under  Prof. 
Rosa  ;  Bologna  Univ.  Carried  out  fir.st  experi- 
ments in  connection  with  his  system  of  wireless 
telegraphy  at  Bologna.  Same  first  tested  in 
England  between  Penarth  and  Weston,  with 
success  ;  then  by  Italian  Ministry  of  Marine  at 
Spezia.  In  1899  established  wireless  communi- 
cation between  France  and  England  across  the 
English  Channel.  His  system  is  now  used  ex- 
clusively by  Lloyd's  and  principal  shipping 
companies  in  England  and  abroad ;  also  em- 
ployed by  the  British  and  lUlian  Admiralties 
in  their  respective  navies,  ana  at  various  land 
stations,  over  distances  ranging  up  to  1000  miles  ; 
was  the  first  to  receive  signals,  transmitted  by 
his  system  of  wireless  telegraphy,  acro.ss  the 
1390 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

Who's   Who  Biographies 

1.  Accumulate  the  following  data  regarding  President  Wilson :  date  of 
his  birth,  date  when  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey',  date 
when  first  elected  President  of  the  United  States,  and  date  of  his  election 
as  President  of  Princeton  University. 

2.  When  was  Theodore  Roosevelt  born,  where  was  he  educated,  and 
what  books  has  he  written? 

3.  When  was  Wilham  Henry  O'Connell  elevated  to  the  eardinalate? 

4.  Who  is  William  James  Mayo  and  when  did  Columbia  University 
confer  upon  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Science  ? 

5.  Name  the  presidents  of  the  Universities  of  CaUfornia,  Chicago, 
Pennsylvania,  and  Wisconsin,  and  state  the  year  when  they  were  in- 
stalled as  such. 

6.  Who  is  Henry  Mills  Alden,  when  and  where  was  he  born,  and  what 
books  has  he  ^Titten? 

7.  Who  is  Edwin  Anderson  Alderman  ? 


220 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


MOVEMENTS    OF    OCEAN    STEAMERS 


PORTS. 


Adelaide,  Australia.. 

do 

do 

Africa  West  Coast... 
AK-nadilla,  Porto  Eico 
Alexandra,   Eirypt... 

AJyoa  Bay,  Al'rica 

do 

do 

do 

Amapala,  Honduras. 
Antijrua  (St.  Johns). 


FROM    New    York. 


Steamer  or  Line.      Leaves  New  York. 


Pier. 


Southwaite About  November  5 

Century '. About  Novembsr  4 

Port  Campbell About  November  4 

Bassam.abt  Nov.  6  (Bush  Docks) ;  Shonsa.abt  Nov.  15 

Helen November  3 1 

Jjassell About  November  11... 

Chepstow  Castle, about  Nov.  5;  Adalia,  late  Novemoen 

York  Castle,  abt  Oct.  30:   Arcs  Castle,  abt  Nov.  io 

Karamea.  about  November  4;  Hypatia,  early  Dec 

Clan  MacDonald About  November  20... 

Mexico  II ^ About  November  1 

Koronaac,  about  Nov.  15;  Parima:+c.  about  Nov. 


Antilla,  Cuba Munamar Novemher  11  &  25 


Antofafc'asta,  Chili 
Antwerp.  Belgium 
Archangel,  Hussia 
Arecibo,  Porto  Pvico. 

do 

Arica,  Chili 

Arroyo,  Porto  Kico.. 

do 

Auckland,  N.Zealand 

do 

do 

do 

Aux  Cayes,  Hay ti 

do.  

Azores  ...' 

Bahia,  Brazil. 

do 

do 

Bahia  Blanca,  Arg'. . . 

do 

Baltimore,  Md 

Banes,  Cuba 

Barbados  (Bridget'n) 

do 

do 

Barcelona,  Spain 

do.  

do 

Batavia,  Java 

Beira,  Africa 

Belize,  Br.  Honduras 
Bergen,  Norway...  J 


Steamers  named  at  Valparaiso  (see  sixth  patre  of  this 
Operation  of  all  lines  suspended  on  account  of  'War, 


Bush  Doofea 

Atlantic  Basin 

Pier  10.  Brooklyn.. 

Ask  Afcents 

Pier  27.  Brooklyn.. 
|rrol>.  31stSt,Bklyn 

Buah  Docfes 

Atlantic  Basin 

Pier  88.  Brooklyn.. 

Bush  Docks 

Prentice  Stores 

Ask  Atrents 

Pier  9  East  Kiver. . . 
table)  call   at  Ant 


Millinocket November  4 ■.. 

San  Juan ......About  Novemtipi-    1... 

Steamers  named  at  Valparaiso  (see  sixth  paffe  of  thisi 

San  Juan About  November  1.... 

iMillinocket November  4 

J'ort  Hackinii About  November  15... 

Edward  Luckenbach November  15 

St.  Andrew About  November  10... 

Sfrathesk About  November  1 

Prlus  der  Nederlanden..^ About  November  10... 

Imjierator ^ About  November  3 

Koma >K AlKiut  October  SO 

Byron^,  about  November  4;  Vesiris^,  Novemper  25 

Io\vau>(<,  November  1;  American*: .  about  Nov.  15 

8ao  Paulo * About  October  31 

Chincha Uecemnpr— 

French  Prince :+: About  November  15... 

Freig-ht  Steamers,  Tuesday,  Thursday  k  Saturday,  6  pm 

Munamar November  11  &  25... 

Korona^,  about  Nov.  15;  Parima:ic,  November  — 


So -. ( 

Bermuda  (Hamilton) 

Bilbao,   Spain 

do. 


Keyvive ;♦; About  November  9 

Montevideo:+c.  about  Nov.  6:  Alicante,  about  Nov.  Iti. 
Mar  Negrro,  about  Nov.  1;  Olavarria,  about  Nov.  15.. 

Hikosan  Maru ,...  About  November  5  ... 

Rondo,  about  November  1:  Veendyk.  about  Nov.  10.. 
Steamers  named  at  Algoa  Bay  (see  above)  call  at  Be 
Saramarca>tc,  November  10;  Sixaola^t^.  November  24 
Kristianiafjord^Novl?,  2pm;  Ber::rensfjbTd:+:Dec9,;pm 

Also  Frei.irht  Steamers  at  irresruhir  intervals 

Bermudlau * Nov.  8,  18&2g.  11am... 

Go.ffs.lo About  November  10.. 

Owego About  November  10. . 

Bocas  del  Toro,  Pan.  Pasrores*.  November  4;  'J'enadores>tc,   November  18 

Bombay,  India City  of  Naples About  November  15.. 

Bordeaux,  France.  J  Cbicapro i^ November— 

tlo.  )|Espa«'ne*,  Nov  11.  3v)m;  La  Touraine*,  Nov  IS,  3  pm 

Freifrht:Steamers  at  irregular  intervals 

Lennox About  November  2... 

Avellaneda About  November  1... 

A  Steamer , About  November  5  &  20 

Ragna,  about  October  30;  Hallfried,  abont  Nov.  4 

Queen  Mary,  about  Oct  31;  KanK-uroo,  about  Nov.  30. 

Port  Campbell About  November  4 

St.  Andrew Abotit  November  10... 

Century About  November  4 

Chicago  City,  November  10;  Wells  City, about  Nov.  18 
Folia About  November  30.. 


do , 

do.  

do 

do , 

do 

do 

Brisbane,  Queensland 

do 

do 

Bristol,  Enif land. , 

do 


Pier  27,  Brooklyn.. 
Pier  S5,  Brooklyn.. 
table)  usually  call 
Plor  36,  Brooklyn.. 
Pier  27,  Brooklyn.. 
Pier  10,  Brooklyn.. 
;'5th  St. .Brooklyn. 

Bush  Docks 

Pier  30,  Brooklyn.. 

Bush  Docks 

Pier  1,  North  River 
3lBt  St.,  Brooklyn. 

Roberts  Scores 

23th St.,  Brooklyn. 

Bush  Docks 

Pier.3:i  Brooklyn.. 

Bush  Docks 

Pier  10.  East  River. 
Pier  9,  East  Kiver. 

,\'ik  Aleuts 

Pier 4,  BronKlvn... 
Pierl,  North  River 
PierS.  East  Blver.. 
Pier  46,  Brooklj-n.. 
3l8t  Street.  Bklyn. 

Buah  Docks 

ira  un  trip  from  N 
Pier  1  North  River. 
[  30th St.,  B'klyn  j 
West  10th  Street... 
Pier  65  North  River 
EajJleSt.,  Brooklyn 
Pier  16  East  River.. 
Bush  Docks 

^   West  nth  St.      j 

Ask  Ag-ents 

PierB,  Jersey  City. 
Erie  Basin,  Bklyn. 

Atlantic  Basin 

Pier  46,  Brooklyn.. 

Bush  Docks 

Pier  10.  Brooklyn.. 
Bush  Docks  — .... 

Atlantic  Basin 

West  2stfh  Street... 
West  14th  Street... 


Continued  on  following  Pages. 


O  Passengers  only. 


►Ji  If  suffici 


OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS 


221 


MOVEMENTS    OF    OCEAN    STEAMERS 


TO    New    York. 


Steamer  or  Line. 


Leave  forN.YI  Due  in  N.Y 


Jalisco 

Parima =♦=... 

Mimamar 

ofagasta  on  trip  from  New 

CAUTION 

Dates  oifen  at  Foreign 
Flags  of  Countries  at 
at  Arica. 


Novptnber  — .. 

October  — 

November  — .. 
York. 


About  Nov.  22 — 

About  Nov.  2 

About  Nov.  8 


places  for  Steam  ers   under    the 
War  may  beehan'aed  or  cancelled 


See  advt.  pag-e  ifS. 


Pr.Fred.Hendrik..:^ October  — About  Nov.  4 


Tocantins;(c  &  Sergipe... 


October—  &  13. 


Freight  Steamers.. About  Tues,Thurs&  Sat 

Munamar ...|  Movember  —  — 

Parima * lOctober  — 

Stephen * October  25 


Alicante  &  Buenos  Aires.. jOctober  — . 


ew  York,  if  sufficient  inducements  offer. 

Saramacca :+:..,...  October  25...... 

Kristianiafjord^&Bergens  fjord* 


Bermudian^tc ;Oct.  24  &  Nov.  4 


Pastores4:&  Tenadores*.  October  17  &  31. 


In  36  hours 
About  Nov 
About  Nov.  2 
About  Nov.  2 


Oct.  26  &  Nov 


Espagme . . 


..=*:.. 


LaTouraine*&  Rochambe 
La  Kance 


Chicago  City  &  Wells  City. 


October  iS 

au*..Nov.  4  &11, 
October  1.5i 


October  18  &  25.. 


ent  inducements  offer. 


:+:  Steamers  markeil  yk:  are  Mail  Steamei 


New  Yo 
Munso 
Quebec 
Booth  ^ 
Rapore 
AbtOctSO&Novll'Co.  Ira 
KeiT  S 
Fabre 
Itmch, 


November    5  ...lUnlti 
AbtNovlO&Decl!(  ^^^ 

Queb 
Ocea 
Feder 

Oct.  30  &  Nov.  13  Umt 
Am. -I 

About  Nov.  6, 

Abt  Nov.  13  &  20. 

late  October 

Plantai 

Orient 

Barber 

Kerr  S 

Nortonl 

Comm 

Am.& 

Barber 

About  Nov.  2&9Bri.-.tol  i 
Cunard  I 


222  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

For  the  English  Edition 

1.  Who  is  Walter  Damrosch  and  to  what  clubs  does  he  belong? 

2.  When  and  where  was  Gilbert  Keith  Chesterton  born,  and  where  was 
he  educated? 

3.  Who  is  Sir  Gilbert  Parker? 

Business  Journals.  —  Business  journals  or  business  bulletins 
are  really  complete  reports  on  all  matters  of  value  to  business  men. 
They  may  be  divided  into  two  groups  —  General  and  Special. 
General  business  journals  are.  of  value  to  the  general  public  ; 
special  business  journals  are  of  value  only  to  particular  business 
activities. 

General  business  journals  of  interest  to  the  public  are  issued 
weekly,  semi-monthly,  or  monthly,  and  contain  detailed  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  steamboats,  domestic  and  foreign  steamships, 
and  railway  trains ;  meetings  of  stock  companies ;  dates  when 
dividends,  interest,  or  coupons  are  due  and  payable ;  express, 
freight,  and  canal  shipping  directions,  etc.  A  bulletin  of  this 
type,  subscribed  for  by  all  business  houses  of  standing  in  New 
York  City,  is  BuUinger^s  Monitor  Guide.  It  is  issued  weekly  in 
pamphlet  form,  but  is  of  ser\ace  only  to  subscribers  in  New  York 
City  and  suburbs. 

The  specimen  page  illustrated  on  pages  220-221  -will  give  some 
idea  of  the  kind  of  detailed  information  it  furnishes. 

The  Postal  and  Shippers  Guide,  published  by  the  same  firm,  is 
used  throughout  the  United  States  and  Canada.  This  book  con- 
tains the  name  of  every  post-office,  railroad  station,  and  steamboat 
landing  in  the  United  States  and  Canada;  every  United  States 
port,  with  its  nearest  post-office  ;  and  for  such  of  the  above  places  as 
are  not  located  directly  on  a  railroad,  it  gives  the  nearest  railroad 
station  and  the  railroad  on  which  it  is  located.  It  gives  the  New 
York  express,  railroad,  and  freight  fines  for  every  city  or  town  ; 
it  gives  every  telegraph  office ;  and  it  designates  which  post-offices 
are  money  order  offices.  It  would  not  be  possible  to  give  here 
more  than  a  very  general  idea  of  the  information  available. 


OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS  223 

Shipping  departments  of  all  firms  of  standing  use  books  of  this 
type  literally  every  hour  in  the  day,  and  the  smaller  office  finds 
them  most  useful  to  consult  when  questions  arise  that  are  difficult 
to  answer.  The  specimen  page  illustrated  on  pages  224-225  shows 
what  express  companies  deliver  to  the  cities  or  towns  indicated. 

Special  types  of  business  bulletins  are  of  value  only  to  particular 
business  activities,  and  they  are  too  numerous  to  be  discussed 
here.  One,  however,  of  value  to  all  export  shippers  is  the  Ex- 
porters' Review.  It  contains  news  and  general  information  that 
enables  them  to  keep  in  touch  -with  all  matters  relating  to  export 
trade.  The  Exporters'  Encyclopedia,  a  bound  book  issued  yearly 
in  connection  with  the  Review,  is  a  complete  export  shipping  guide, 
and  practically  every  question  that  comes  up  in  making  an  export 
shipment  is  covered. 

SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

1.  How  long,  by  fastest  route,  will  it  take  a  letter  sent  from  your  city 
to  reach  Chicago,  111.,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  Houston,  Tex.,  Portland,  Me., 
or  Portland,  Ore.  ? 

2.  Name  the  fastest  mail  steamers  from  New  York  City  to  the  fol- 
lowing cities,  stating  how  many  days  approximately  it  will  take  to  make 
the  trip  in  each  ease : 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  Montevideo,  Buenos  Aires,  La  Coneepcion, 
Valparaiso,  London,   Hamburg,  Bremen,  Belfast. 

3.  Name  the  fastest  mail  steamers  from  San  Francisco  to  the  following 
cities,  stating  how  many  days  approximately  it  will  take  to  make  the  trip 
in  each  case : 

Santiago,  Valparaiso,  Lima,  Yokohama,  Sydney. 

4.  By  what  express  company  would  you  ship  goods  from  your  city  to 
Albany,  Ind.,  and  to  Battle  Creek,  Mich.? 

5.  By  what  freight  route  would  you  ship  goods  to  Bethlehem,  Pa., 
Baltimore,  Md.,  and  Baltimore,  Ohio? 

6.  You  are  secretary  to  a  San  Francisco  business  man.  He  is  called 
to  Brazil  on  business,  but  must  first  stop  over  in  New  York  City  for  one 
day  to  settle  some  business  matters.  Arrange  his  trip  so  that  he  will  not 
be  obliged  to  remain  in  New  York  City  any  longer  than  is  absolutely 
necessary,  and  engage  passage  for  him  on  a  steamer  leaving  New  York 


224 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


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OFFICE    REFERENCE   BOOKS  227 

City  for  Bahia.     Name  the  railroads  on  which  he  will  travel  to  New  York 
City. 

Credit  Rating  Books.  —  The  necessity  of  having  trustworthy- 
information  regarding  the  financial  strength  and  personal  integrity 
of  people  engaged  in  all  forms  of  business  in  the  United  States, 
has  resulted  in  the  compilation  by  mercantile  agencies  of  credit 
rating  books.  Merchants  wishing  to  take  advantage  of  this  type 
of  service  subscribe  for  it  yearly.  It  entitles  them  to  a  general 
credit  rating  book  and  a  certain  number  of  special  reports. 

The  Bradstreet  Company  and  R.  G.  Dun  &  Company  are  the 
two  firms  engaged  in  this  business  that  are  known  all  over  the 
United  States.  They  have  also  a  foreign  service  that  enables 
them  to  furnish  reports  on  merchants  in  foreign  countries. 

If  you  are  a  small  retailer  and  want  some  wholesale  house  to 
sell  you  goods  on  credit,  before  doing  so  they  will  request  their 
special  agency  to  supply  them  with  whatever  information  is  avail- 
able concerning  your  financial  strength.  The  reports  furnished 
will  indicate  the  time  you  have  been  engaged  in  business,  the 
capital  invested,  your  estimated  worth,  prospects  of  success,  re- 
ports from  the  banks  at  which  you  may  deposit,  and  any  informa- 
tion that  may  have  a  direct  bearing  on  your  credit  and  your 
character.  It  is  understood  that  the  information  requested  is 
furnished  and  received  in  confidence. 

The  credit  rating  books  contain  geographically  classified  lists 
of  people  engaged  in  business  activities  throughout  the  United 
States.  Against  these  names  will  be  found  symbols  indicating 
their  estimated  wealth  and  grades  of  credit.  The  specimen  page 
illustrated  on  page  226  shows  the  key  page  used  by  the  Bradstreet 
Company.  Read  carefully  the  printed  matter  under  Notes,  and 
you  will  have  an  intelligent  idea  of  what  is  meant  by  Grades  of 
Credit. 

To  find  the  name  and  rating  of  any  business,  look  up  the  state 
and  city  in  which  it  is  located,  compare  the  letters  indicating  the 
rating  assigned  Math  the  key  page,  and  arrive  at  an  estimate  of 
the  financial  standing  of  the  business.     (Note  page  228.) 


228 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


NORTH  DAKOTA— Abe 


ABKRC  ROM  BI E— Continued. 

Equity  Elevator  Company V     E 

First  JSIat.  Bank I.Johnson, 

PreM.,r.  O.  Toune,  Cash 

Cap.  paid  in  $25m,  surp.  $5ni 

First  State  Bank H.  J.  Hagen, 

Pres.,C'.  T.  Paul.son,  Cash 

Cap.  paid  in  $l.'5n].  stir])-  $5ni 

Gannes.s  P.  K Blacksmith    V    E 

HobsonMrs.  A Rest     Z    F 

Holkestad  cfe  Tweto G.  S 

JacotjH  Louis Meats   , 

JensonJens Plumbing    V    D 

Johnson  J.  P Anto  Repairs 

Johnson  Paul  E Jewelry     Z    E 

Lotf  J.  H G.  S 

Myron  C.  A Hdwe    Y     F 

Nelson  Ole Blackaniith     2     E 

Nortz  Lumber  Co P    B 

Seb  Breekenridge,  Minn. 

Owen  Si.-^tera Milly 

Thon  Carl Harness 

Voyen  O.Tar Livery    Y    F 

WestersonC.  W Miller   V    E 

136 

ABSARAKA  [E.]  Cass 

On  Great  A'o.  K.E.—l'op.  25— X— G.  N.  Bk 

—  Tel.  Ripon.  \m.—t  Wheatland,  Qm. 
Absaraka  Merc.  Co.,  Inc..  Grain  & 

Fuel    T     C 

FoulkesII.  O G.  S    X    E 

81 

ACKW^ORTH  [N]  Rolette 

lim./roin  Dunsyitli—Pop.  10—*  Kelvin, 

iin.—  Tel.,  £}x.  andi  Dunseitfi. 

81 

ACTON  (P.O.  at  Fork,  Minn.) 

[N.E.]  Walsh 

12m.  from  Graff  on  —  Fop.  15—  Tel.,  *, 

Ex.  and  $  Grafton. 

HoenkeE.  H G.  S    V    D 

81 

ADAMS  IN.E.)  Walsh 

On  Mpls.,  .S7.  Faul  &  S.  file.  Marie  U.S. 

—  Pop.  338  —  Tel.  —  -X-  —  West.  Ex.—t 
A  dain.i. 

Adams  Farraer.s"  Elevator  Co V    E 

Adams  Merc.  Co G.  S     8     C 

Ander.son  H.  A.  <fc  Son Hdwe  & 

Furn    U    D 
Dougherty  Mrs,  R.B PutiUslier    X    D 


J    A 


Scandinavian- Am.  Bank... G under 

Olson,  Pres.,G.C.Gunderson.Ca.'-ti 

Cap.  paid  in  f  10m 

Slope  Lumber  Co U     C 

Solem  S.  L Photog    Y     F 

136 

ALFRED  [s]  lia  Moure 

On  No.  Pacific  R.R.— Pop.  125- Tel.— *— 

No.  Ex.—t  Alfred. 

ClarkC.A Contec    X    T> 

Clark  Henry G.  S    U    D 

Davi,sJohii Pool     Z     F 

First  State  Bank..  ..R.  A.  Werner, 

Pres..  E.  G.  Bloedow,  Cash 

Cap.  paid  in  $10m,  surp.  $2m 

Klundt  (The)  Company..  .Hdwe  & 

Implts  W    E 

Kurtz  Godfried Meats    Z    F 

Pein  Ben Well  Driller 

Powers  Elevator  Co. .  Grain  &  Lum 
See  Minneapolis,  Minn. 

Kabinowitz  &  Co G.  S 

Schroeder  John Contractor  W 

Wood  E.  L Blacksmith 

Wood  Freil.  T Well  Driller 

Woods  Jos Hotel 

136 

ALICE  [E]  Cass 

On  Casselton  Br.  No.  Pacific  R.E.—Pop. 

125— Tel.— *— No.  Kx.—t  Alice. 

Blascbkey  V Pool  &  Hotel 

Decker  F.J Implts    X    D 

Fanners  Elevator  Co U     C 

HasrerEd Re.st  &  Pool    Y    F 

Hayertz  H.  J Livery     Z     F 

HastadO.  C Jewelry  W    E 

See  Tower  City 

Johnson  Bros G.  S    U    D 

Laughlin  Wm.  P Blacksmith 

Salzwedel  Frank  A Hdwe    V    E 

StanglerE.  E Meats    V    D 

State  Bank  of  Alice S.  G.  More, 

Pres.,  A.  L.  Bayley,  Cash 
Cap.  paid  in  $15m,  surp.  $.ira 

Stevenson  A Drugs     Z     F 

Wellentin  J.  F G.  S-i-V    D 

Wellentin  &  Son ImpUs-j-S    C 

WJrtnor-Torge.sen  Lumber  Co O    B 

See  Minneanolis,  Minn. 
136 
ALICIA   (P.  O.  at  Geneseo)  Is.e.) 
Sargent 


E 


SUGGESTIVE   EXERCISES 

1.  Give  the  ratings  of  the  first  three  individuals  or  firms  you  find  listed 
under  the  cities  indicated  below  : 


Alabama : 
California : 
California : 
Connecticut : 
Illinois : 
Kansas : 


Summerdale 
Los  Angeles 
San  Francisco 
Milford 
Chicago 
Kansas  City 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS  229 

Massachusetts :  Boston 

Michigan  :  Grand  Rapids 

Minnesota :  St.  Paul 

New  York :  Albany 

New  York :  New  York  City 

Texas :  Dallas 

West  Virginia :.  Wheeling 

2.  Why  are  mercantile  agencies  considered  indispensable  by  business 
firms  ? 

Gazetteers.  —  Gazetteers  have  been  defined  as  geographical  dic- 
tionaries arranged  on  an  alphal^etical  plan.  They  may  be  divided 
into  two  general  classes  —  State  (or  Territorial)  and  World  (or 
General). 

State  (or  Territorial)  gazetteers  are  divided  into  two  sections  — 
alphabetical  and  classified  business.  The  alphabetical  section  is  an 
alphabetically  arranged  geographical  gazetteer  of  ever}^  cit}^,  town, 
and  village  in  the  state  or  territory  covered,  together  with  the 
names  of  all  corporations,  firms,  and  individuals  in  business.  The 
classified  business  section  is  arranged  by  headings  in  alphabetical 
order,  then  by  cities,  and  under  each  city  is  given  a  complete  list 
of  everybod}'  engaged  in  that  particular  line  of  business. 

These  state  or  territorial  gazetteers  are  the  only  mediums  for 
ascertaining  information  of  the  social,  commercial,  and  profes- 
sional interests  of  the  interior  of  a  state  or  territory,  aside  from 
that  printed  in  city  directories.     (Note  extract  on  page  230.) 

World  (or  General)  gazetteers  contain  general  and  detailed 
information  about  the  principal  to^\^ls,  cities,  and  countries  of 
the  world.  They  usually  include  tables  sho^^dng  the  principal 
countries  and  geographical  divisions  of  the  world,  with  their 
respective  areas,  populations,  and  densities  per  square  mile.  As  a 
rule,  the  position  of  a  country,  pro\'ince,  circle,  or  district  is  in- 
dicated by  merely  mentioning  the  parallel  or  latitude  and  the 
meridian  or  longitude  that  cross  them  or  pass  close  to  them,  and 
in  many  cases  the  mention  of  one  or  other  or  both  of  these  is 
replaced  by  the  mention  of  some  physical  feature,  such  as  the  im- 


Boyno   City 


MICHIGAN  GAZETTEER. 


Bradley 


Lake   Street   House,   Anna  Turner   propr 
Lake    Superior    Iron    and    Chemical     Co 

(Inc)    (Detroit),  J  D  Dunn  mngr 
Leavenworth    Russell  C,   photographer 
Lewis    John,    meats 
Lewis  Wm  J,  storage  and  garage 
Lutz   RI   W,    upholsterer 
McCumber    B    F,    grocer 
Mclntire    Lou   A,    hardware 
McLean  I  B,  Ins  and  real  estate 
McNamee  Joseph,  grocer 
MacGregor  James  G,  physician 
Marks  Louis,   tailor 
Marshall  Wm  H.  physician 
Martin    W   L,    agent   Adams   Exp   Co 
Michigan  State  Telephone  Co,  B  R  Sage 

manager 
Michigan  Tanning  and  Extract  Co,  W  L 
Shaw    pres,    Morgan    Curtis    sec    and 
treas 
Moore  Charles  W,  hardware 
Morehouse    Medicine    Co,    G    Will    More- 
house   manager 
Nickola   Faris,    general   store 
Niergarth    Wllhelm    R,    dry    goods    and 

clothing 
Nurko  Israel,  dry  goods  and  clothing 
Ormsby  W  K.  real  estate 
Osterhouse  Nicholas  G,  restaurant 
Ostheimer  Edward,  cigars 
Parker -John   H,   grocer 
Patterson   John.    2d-hd   goods 
Patterson    John   Mrs,   milliner 
PEOPLE'S    BA\K    THE     (Est    1907:    Re 
sponsibility     $500,000)      (E     L     Wenzel 
•Estate  of  R  B  McNair,  J  McNair  Ealy) 
Sabin    Hooper    Cashier,    H    F    Wenzel 
Asst  Cashier,  117   water.   Phone  17 
Pine  Lake  Hotel,  John  J  Vaughan  propr 
Pomeroy  T.  P,  veterinaj:y   surgeon 
Princess  Theatre,  Henry  Eckert  mngr 
Quick  B  J,  furniture  and  hardware 
Reichert  Jacob  L,  tinsmith  and  plumber 
Rogers  Wm  H,  general  pierchandise 
Rounds    Charles,    poultry 
Rovick    N   J,    general    store 
ROYER  WE,  Mngr  Hotel  Wolverine 
Ruegsegger   Evans  A,   insurance 
Sack  W  A  meats 
Sayles  Harry  B,  general  store 
Schaub   Clarence  C,   agrl   implts 
Schwarz   Julius,   musical   instruments 
Schwensen  A,  baker 
Shafer  &  Co,  harness 
Bhaheen   Bros,   grocers   and   meats 
Shaver  Harry  E,  physician 
SHAW^  W  S.  Pres  MIchlgran  Tanning  and 
Extract  Co,    Pres   First  National   Bank 
of    Boyne    City    and    Pres    Boyne    City 
Chemical   Co 
Silverstein    Merrill    E,    lawyer    and    real 

estate 
Singer  Sewing  Machine  Co,  H  E  -McLean 

manager 
SMITH    SAMUEL    C,    Caahier    First    JVatI 

Bank  of  Boyne  City 
Spangenberg   Moxie,    cigars 
Stackus   Loren   M,    furniture 
Stackus  Schuyler  B,   undertaker. 
Standard  Oil  Co,  J   B  Kirby  agent 
Stoddard   Frank  G,  optometrist 
Sutton  Wm  M,   grocer  and  meats 
Thompson  Frank  D,  clothing- 
Trudeau  A,  skating  rink 
Urquhart   Arthur  G,   lawyer,   real   estate 

and    insurance 
Vaughan  &  Dane   (David  Vaughan.  John 
Dane),  lunch  room 


Vaughn  W  W  &  Co  (Detroit),  pickle 
manfrs 

VonPlaten   G,   lumber   mnfr 

Vought  J  N  Mrs,  millinery 

Watson  Drug  Co  (Mrs  J  B  and  A  E  Wat- 
son) 

White  Alward  L,  optometrist 

Wenzel   Fred,  tailor 

White  W  H  Co,  Mich  Trust  Co  receiver, 
lumber  mnfrs 

Wolfson  W,  dry  goods 

BOYNE   FALL..S. 

Population,  450.    Incorporated  as  a  vil- 
lage  in   1S93,   Is  on   the  Boyne   river   and 
on  the  G.  R..&  I.  R.   R.,  connecting  with 
he   B.  C,  G.   &  A.   R.  R.   for  Bovne  City, 
in     Boyne    Valley     township,     Charlevoix 
county,   6  miles  southeast  of  Boyne  City,- 
26    southeast    of    Charlevoix,    the    county 
seat,    and    174    north    of    Grand    Rapids. 
Has    Catholic,    Methodist    Episcopal    and 
Presbyterian    churches,    a    graded    public 
school,    good   hotels   and    a   bank.      Tele- 
graph   and    telephone    facilities.       Exp., 
Adams.      John    J    Galster,    postmaster. 
Boyne  River  House,  John  J  Galster  propr 
Boyne  Valley  Flour  Mills,  Hankey  Mill- 
ing Co  proprs 
Brookdale  House.  Mrs  M  L  Magee  propr 
Conkle  Ouy  C,  physician 
Davoll  Wm,  meats  and  grocery 
Fanning    Bros    (Michael    Fanning),    gen- 
eral store 
Farmers  &   Merchants   Bank 
GALSTER    JOHN    J,    General    Store    and 

Postmaster 
Groboslti    Bros,   hardware 
Hotel  Jlarsh,  O  H  Marsh  propr 
Howe  .\rden  N.  physician 
Jaffe  H  &  Co,  dry  goods  and  clothing 
Judd   D  S  Co    (Daniel  S  and  M  E  Judd), 

general   store 
Meyer   Herman   C,   hardware 
Michigan    State     Telephone    Co,    Lyle     O 

Wakoman   manager 
Moon  L  A  &  Co  (Louis  A  and  A  L  Moon), 

general   store 
Northern     Brick    Co     (Louis     A    Moon), 

Boyne    Falls 
Olsson  George,  drugs 
Stephanson   Bros,   meats 
Widger  E.  r  r  and  exp  agent 


BRADLEY. 

Population,  150.  In  Wayland  town- 
ship, Allegan  county,  on  the  G.  R.  &  I. 
R.  R.,  25  miles  south  of  Grand  Rapids,  3 
from  Wayland,  the  nearest  banking 
point,  and— 17  northeast  of  Allegan,  the 
county  seat.  Has  Baptist,  Free  Metho- 
dist and  Methodist  Protestant  churches 
and  an  elevator.  Exp.,  Aaams.  Tele- 
phone and  telegraph  faciliUes.  E.  S. 
Allen,  postmaster. 
ALLEN  E  S,  General  Store 
Bradley  Elevator  Co,  Henderson  &  Sons 

proprs 
Congdon  A  B,  brick,  wire  fence 
Henderson    &    Son   Milling   Co,    elevators. 

and  feed  mill 
Hines    George    T,    jewelry,    r    r,    exp    and 

tel    agent 
McCloud    L   W,    photographer 
Muir  T  M.  general  store 
Reudell  Creamery  Co,  I  E  Wa'lt  mngr 


230 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS 


231 


portant  river  or  coast  line  or  some  political  boundary. 
an  illustration  from  Longman's  Gazetteer  of  the  World. 


Here  is 


-  VA  LV 

where  the  soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  under  Kellermann  and 
Dumouriez,  gained  their  first  victory  over  the  Prussian  troops, 
1792.     P.  <  2000. 

Valognes,  tn.,  France,  dep.  Manche,  cap.  arr.  V.,  11  m.  SEl. 
Cherbourg ;  lime  worked ;  trade  in  beer.  It  was  fortified  under 
the  Dukes  of  Normandy.  The  remains  of  the  ancient  Alauna 
are  ^  m.  to  the  E.     P.  <5ooo. 

Valols,  former  dist. ,  France,  now  in  deps.  Oise  and  Aisne. 

Valona,  tn.,  Turkey  in  Europe.     See  Avioiia. 

Valoria  la  Baena,  tn.,  Spain,  prov.  Valladolid,  cap.  disU 
v.,  15  m.  S.  Palencia.     P. < 2000. 

Valparaiso,  chief  seapt.  of  Chile,  cap.  prov.  and  dep.  V.,  6a 
m.  WNW.  Santiago,  on  the  Pacific,  in  33°  i'  S.  It  stands  on 
the  (S. )  foreshore,  runs  up  the  hills  behind,  and  extends  NE. 
towards  the  seaside  resort  of  Villa  del  Mar  (g.v.).  There  are 
no  buildings  of  note  save  the  public  offices.  There  are,  however, 
arsenals,  shipbuilding  yards,  and  a  naval  college.  A  statue  to 
T,ord  Cochrane  adorns  one  of  the  squares.  V.  imports  some  70 
er  cent,  of  the  total  imports  of  the  country — cottons,  woollens, 
hardware,  iron,  coal,  carpets,  tea,  boots,  beer,  and  spirits,  to 
the  value  of  ;^8, 500,000.  The  exports — nitrate,  copper,  silver, 
skins,  wheat,  gold,  &c.,  amount  to  about  one-fifth  of  the  total 
for  all  Chile.  The  bulk  of  the  trade  is  done  with  England.  V. 
stands  on  an  open  bay  and  has  no  wet  docks.  During  the  pre- 
valence of  N.  winds  in  winter  the  shipping  in  the  bay  (which  on 
other  sides  is  well  sheltered)  is  exposed  to  heavy  seas.  Large 
vessels  anchor  in  15-30  fathoms.  The  Custom-House  Mole  has 
a  depth  at  high  water  of  36  ft  outside,  33  ft.  inside ;  at  low 
water  outside  33  ft. ,  inside  30  ft.  V.  was  visited  in  1835  by  a 
terrible  earthquake.  Founded  by  the  Spaniard  Saavedra,  V. 
was  pillaged  by  Drake  in  1578,  and  by  Hawkins  in  1594.  In 
1866  it  was  bombarded  by  the  Spanish  admiral  Nufiez,  and  in 
1891  occupied  by  the  Chilean  insurgents.  Mean  temp.  (10  yrs., 
1863-72),  yr.  57.6°  F.,  Jan.  63.0°,  July  52.8° ;  mean  rfall.  (5  yrs,), 
yr.  13. 5  in.     P.  (1874)97,600;  (1885)  105,000. 

Valparaiso,  vil.,  Mexico,  state  Zacatecas,  56  m,  SW.  Fres- 
nillo.     P.  (comm. )  12,400^ 

Valparaiso,  city,  U.S.,  Indiana,  Porter  CO.,  36  m.  BE. 
Chicago  (111.).     P.  5100. 

Valpelllne,  vil.,  Italy,  Piedmont,  prov.  Turin,  6  m.  NNE. 
Aosta ;  has  mines  of  copper  and  iron  pyrites.     P.  <2ooo. 

Valperga,  vil.,  Italy,  Piedmont,  prov.  Turin,  13  m.  SW, 
Ivrea,  on  r.  bk.  of  the  Oreo.  About  i  m.  W.  is  the  Sanctuary 
of  Bemonte,  much  frequented  by  pilgrims  and  excursionists. 
P.  <  2000. 


SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

State  {or  Territorial)   Gazetteers 

1.  Write  a  brief  composition  stating  the  general  kinds  of  information 
to  be  found  in  state  gazetteers. 


232 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


2.  Why  is  a  good  gazetteer  useful  in  a  business  of&ee  ? 

3.  Examine  the  table  of  contents  of  your  local  gazetteer  and  state  briefly 
the  kinds  of  information  it  contains. 

World  {or  General)  Gazetteers 

1.  Where  is  Vladivostok  and  why  is  it  of  great  importance? 

2.  Give  a  synopsis  of  the  information  to  be  obtained  about  Valparaiso, 
Lima,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  Buenos  Aires. 

Almanacs  and  Atlases. — A  good  almanac  may  be  said  to  be  a 
pocket  edition  of  a  gazetteer.  It  is  usually  a  most  complete  and 
accurate  history  of  a  city.  In  many  of  the  larger  cities,  almanacs 
are  popular,  because  they  are  both  inexpensive  and  useful. 

An  atlas  is  really  a  set  of  maps  issued  in  book  form,  indexed  by 
states,  giving  the  latest  figures  of  population  for  countries,  states, 

counties,    cities,    towns,   bor- 


2      3      4 


10 


ill 

^ m 


oughs,  and  villages.  If,  for 
example,  you  want  to  find  one 
of  the  smaller  cities  or  towns 
in  a  state,  consult  your  index. 
You  will  probably  find  after 
the  name  of  the  city  an  index 
reference  letter  and  number. 
Turn  to  the  state  map,  follow  the  letters  and  numbers  indicated 
on  the  margins,  and  you  will  locate  your  city  at  once.  This 
diagram  illustrates  one  method  of  keying  used.  The  square 
formed  by  E  and  8  indicates  the  section  of  the  state  in  which  the 
city  you  wish  to  locate  is  situated. 

There  are  atlases  that  are  much  more  pretentious.  Books  of 
this  sort  really  give  a  synopsis  of  commercial  information  derived 
from  the  latest  and  most  authoritative  foreign  sources,  including 
trade  and  consular  returns,  steamship  and  railway  companies' 
time-tables,  etc.  They  contain  a  series  of  commercial  maps  of 
the  world,  its  markets  and  its  trade,  statistical  maps  and  diagrams 
of  its  chief  commercial  countries,  with  their  natural  resources  and 
communications. 


OFFICE   REFERENCE   BOOKS  233 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISES 

1.  State  briefly  the  contents  of  the  best  almanac  issued  in  your  city. 

2.  In  what  countries  are  Pernambuco,  Santiago,  Valdi\da,  Guayaquil, 
Caracas,  Port  EUzabeth,  Brussels,  Perth,  Lima,  Melbourne,  Calcutta, 
London,  Paris,  Berlin,  Brussels,  Florence? 

3.  State  in  each  case  approximately  how  many  degrees  north  or  south 
of  the  equator  these  cities  are,  and  their  approximate  populations. 

Year  Books.  —  Books  of  this  tynpe  ma}'  be  di\'ided  into  two 
classes  —  municipal  and  government  year  books. 

Municipal  year  books,  usually  published  by  cities,  contain 
much  useful  information  for  citizens  concerning  its  government. 
Government  year  books,  such  as  the  Statistical  Abstract  of  the  United 
States  (which  is  prepared  by  the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic 
Commerce,  under  the  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  Commerce  and 
Labor),  furnish  very  accurate  information  concerning  the  commer- 
cial situation  in  the  United  States.  Material  of  this  kind  is  to 
be  obtained  in  good  gazetteers  and  atlases,  but  these  year  books 
have  a  value  all  their  own  and  are  to  be  found  on  the  bookshelves 
of  every  prominent  business  house. 

SUGGESTIVE  EXERCISE 

1.  State  briefly  the  contents  of  the  municipal  year  book  published  by 
your  city  authorities  or  under  their  auspices. 

Cable  Codes.  —  Reference  books  that  are  very  widely  used  are 
the  public  cable  codes;  but  as  this  subject  has  been  covered  very 
fully  in  the  sections  on  telegrams  and  cablegrams  (see  page  163),  it 
need  not  be  discussed  further  here 

Official  Postal  Guide.  —  The  Post-office  Department  at  Wash- 
ington issues  for  a  nominal  sum  the  Official  Postal  Guide.  It 
contains  instructions  to  postal  emploj^ees,  rulings  of  the  depart- 
ment, lists  of  post-offices  arranged  alphabetically  by  states  and 
by  counties,  and  much  miscellaneous  information.  It  also  issues 
without  charge  a  small  pamphlet  entitled  "  Postal  Information," 
which  contains  much  general  information  about  the  different  mail 
classifications  and  postage  rates. 


APPENDIX 
DOMESTIC   MAIL  MATTER 

CLASSIFICATION   AND    RATES    OF   POSTAGE 

DOMESTIC  MAIL  MATTER  includes  mail  addressed  for  local  de- 
livery, or  for  transmission  from  one  place  to  another  within  the  United 
States,  or  to  or  from  or  between  the  possessions  of  the  United  States, 
and  to  that  for  transmission  to  or  from  the  United  States  or  its  possessions 
and  officers  or  members  of  crews  of  United  States  naval  vessels,  and  to  or 
from  the  United  States  postal  agency  at  Shanghai,  China,  and  to  officers 
and  men  of  the  United  States  Navy  in  the  United  States  Naval  Hospital 
at  Yokohama,  Japan,  and  is  divided  into  four  classes : 

First,  Second,  Third,  Fourth  (Parcel  Post). 

Domestic  rates  and  conditions,  with  certain  exceptions,  apply  to  mail 
addressed  to  Canada,  Cuba,  ]Mexico,  and  the  Republic  of  Panama.  The 
domestic  rates  apply  also  to  letters,  but  not  to  other  articles,  addressed 
to  Great  Britain,  Ireland,  and  NeA\-foundland,  Bahamas,  Barbados, 
British  Guiana,  British  Honduras,  Dutch  West  Indies,  Leeward  Islands, 
New  Zealand. 

PREPAYMENT  OF  POSTAGE  on  domestic  matter  at  time  of  mailing, 
by  stamps  affixed,  is  required.  By  special  permission,  however,  postage 
on  matter  of  the  third  and  fourth  classes  mailed  in  quantities  of  not  less 
than  2000  identical  pieces  may  be  paid  in  money. 

FIRST-CLASS    MATTER 

FIRST-CLASS  MATTER  INCLUDES  wTitten  matter,  namely: 
Letters,  postal  cards,  post  cards  (private  mailing  cards),  and  all  matter 
wholly  or  partly  in  writing,  Avhether  sealed  or  unsealed  (except  manuscript 
copy  accompanying  proof  sheets  or  corrected  proof  sheets  of  the  same 
and  the  ^\Titing  authorized  by  law  on  matter  of  other  classes).  Also 
matter  sealed  or  other^^'ise  closed  against  inspection. 

RATES  OF  POSTAGE.  Letters  and  other  first-class  matter,  two 
cents  for  each  ounce  or  fraction  thereof.  Post  cards  and  postal  cards, 
one  cent  each. 

"  DROP  LETTERS,"  addressed  for  delivery  at  the  office  where  mailed, 
one  cent  for  each  ounce  or  fraction  thereof  when  deposited  at  post  offices 
where  letter  carrier  service  is  not  established.  Letters  addressed  to 
patrons  served  by  rural  or  star  roiite  carriers,  or  deposited  in  boxes  along 
such  routes,  are  subject  to  postage  at  the  rate  of  two  cents  an  ounce  or 
fraction  thereof.     There  is  no  drop  rate  on  mail  other  than  letters. 

THE  LIMIT  OF  WEIGHT  of  first-class  matter  is  the  same  as  for 
fourth-class  matter. 

235 


236  OFFICE   PRACTICE 


SECOND-CLASS    MATTER 

SECOND-CLASS  MATTER  INCLUDES  newspapers  and  periodicals 
bearing  notice  of  entry  as  second-class  matter.  No  limit  of  weight  is 
prescribed. 

RATE  OF  POSTAGE.  Newspapers  and  periodical  publications  of 
the  second  class,  when  sent  unsealed  by  others  than  the  publisher  or  a 
news  agent,  one  cent  for  each  four  ounces  or  fraction  thereof,  on  each 
separately  addressed  copy  or  package  of  unaddressed  copies.  To  be 
entitled  to  this  rate  the  copies  must  be  complete.  Incomplete  copies  are 
third-class  matter. 

ADDITIONS  TO  SECOND-CLASS  MATTER.  On  the  wrapper,  or 
the  matter  itself,  there  may  be  written  or  printed:  (1)  the  name  and  ad- 
dress of  the  sender,  preceded  by  the  word  "from  "  ;  (2)  the  name  and  ad- 
dress of  the  person  to  whom  sent;  (3)  the  words  "sample  copy,"  or 
"  marked  copy,"  or  both,  as  the  case  may  be. 

On  the  matter  itself  the  sender  may  place  all  that  is  permitted  on  the 
WTapper ;  correct  typographical  errors  in  the  text ;  designate  by  marks, 
not  by  words,  a  word  or  passage  in  the  text  to  which  it  is  desired  to  call 
attention. 

Other  writing  will  subject  the  package  to  the  first-class  rate. 


THIRD-CLASS    MATTER 

THIRD-CLASS  MATTER  EMBRACES  circulars,  newspapers,  and 
periodicals  not  admitted  to  the  second-class,  nor  embraced  in  the  term 
"book,"  miscellaneous  printed  matter  on  paper  not  having  the  nature  of 
an  actual  personal  con-espondence,  proof  sheets,  corrected  proof  sheets, 
and  manuscript  copy  aecompanjang  the  same,  and  matter  in  point  print 
or  raised  characters  used  by  the  blind.  (Books  are  included  in  fourth- 
class  or  parcel  post  mail.) 

Typewriting  and  carbon  and  letter-press  copies  thereof  are  the  equiva- 
lent of  handwTiting  and  are  classed  as  sucli  in  all  cases.  Matter  produced 
by  the  photographic  process  (including  blue  prints)  is  printed  matter. 
Matter  printed  on  material  other  than  paper  is  fourth-class. 

Circulars.  A  circular  is  a  printed  letter  sent  in  identical  terms  to 
several  persons.  It  may  bear  a  written,  typewritten,  or  hand-stamped 
date,  name  and  address  of  person  addressed  and  of  the  sender,  and  correc- 
tions of  mere  typographical  errors.  When  a  name  (except  that  of  the 
addressee  or  sender),  date  (other  than  that  of  the  circular),  or  anything 
else  is  handwritten  or  type^vritten  in  the  body  of  a  circular  for  any  other 
reason  than  to  correct  a  genuine  typographical  error,  the  circular  is 
subject  to  postage  at  the  first-class  (letter)  rate,  whether  sealed  or  un- 
sealed. 

Reproductions  or  imitations  of  handwriting  and  typewriting  obtained 
by  means  of  the  printing  press,  neostyle,  multigraph,  or  similar  mechanical 
process  will  be  treated  as  third-class  matter,  provided  they  are  mailed  at 
the  post  office  or  other  depository  designated  by  the  postmaster  in  a 
minimum  number  of  20  identical,  unsealed  copies.  If  mailed  elsewhere 
or  in  less  quantity,  they  will  be  subject  to  the  first-class  rate. 


APPENDIX  237 

Matter  for  the  Blind.  Letters  and  reading  matter  for  the  blind  are 
transmissible  in  the  mails  under  certain  conditions  at  special  rates,  which 
may  be  ascertained  from  the  postmaster. 

THE  RATE  OF  POSTAGE  on  unsealed  third-class  matter  is  one  cent 
for  each  two  ounces  or  fraction  thereof,  on  each  indi\'idually  addressed 
piece  or  package. 

THE  LIMIT  OF  WEIGHT  of  third-class  matter  is  four  pounds. 
Parcels  of  printed  matter  v.-eighing  more  than  four  pounds  which  do  not 
exceed  the  limit  of  weight  and  size  for  fourth-class  matter  come  within 
that  class  and  are  mailable  at  the  parcel  post  rates. 

ADDITIONS  TO  THIRD-CLASS  MATTER.  On  the  wrapper, 
envelope,  or  the  tag  or  label  attached  thereto,  or  upon  the  matter  itself, 
in  addition  to  the  name  and  address  of  the  adch'essee,  there  may  be  written 
or  printed  the  name,  occupation,  and  residence,  or  business  address,  of 
the  sender,  preceded  by  the  word  "  from."  There  may  also  be  placed  on 
the  T\Tapper,  envelope,  tag,  or  label,  either  ■WTitten  or  otherwise,  the 
inscription  "  Do  not  open  until  Christmas,"  or  words  to  that  effect,  and 
any  printed  matter  mailable  as  third-class,  but  there  must  be  left  on  the 
address  side  a  space  sufficient  for  a  legible  address,  postmark,  and  the  neces- 
sary postage  stamps. 

The  words  "  Please  send  out,"  or  "  Post  up,"  or  other  similar  direction 
or  requests,  not  a  part  of  the  address,  nor  necessary  to  effect  delivery, 
may  not  be  placed  upon  the  ^wTapper  of  third-class  matter  or  upon  the 
matter  itself  ■wdthout  subjecting  it  to  postage  at  the  letter  rate. 

On  the  matter  itself  the  sender  may  place  all  that  is  permitted  on  the 
■wrapper,  and  may  make  marks  other  than  by  WTitten  or  printed  words 
to  call  attention  to  any  word  or  passage  in  the  text,  and  may  correct  any 
typographical  errors.  There  may  also  be  \\Titten  or  printed  upon  any 
photograph,  or  other  matter  of  the  third-class,  a  simple  manuscript  dedica- 
tion or  inscription  not  in  the  natiu-e  of  personal  correspondence.  Such 
words  as  "  Dear  Sir,"  "  My  dear  friend,"  "  Yours  truh%"  "  Sincerely 
yours,"  "  Merry  Chi'istmas,"  ''  Happy  New  Year,"  and  "  With  best 
wishes,"  T\Titten  upon  tliird-class  matter,  are  permissible  inscriptions.  A 
serial  number  "vvTitten  or  impressed  upon  third-class  matter  does  not 
affect  its  classification. 

Written  designation  of  contents,  such  as  "printed  matter,"  "photo," 
is  permissible  upon  the  ^NTapper  of  third-class  matter. 

Enclosures.  A  single  card  bearing  the  -WTitten  name  and  address  of 
the  sender,  or  an  envelope  bearing  a  written  or  printed  name  and  address 
of  the  sender,  may  be  enclosed  -with  a  circidar  or  other  third-class  matter 
without  affecting  its  classification. 

Hand-stamped  imprints  on  tliird-class  matter  will  not  affect  its  classifi- 
cation except  when  the  added  matter  is  in  itself  personal  or  converts  the 
original  matter  into  a  personal  communication ;  in  the  latter  case,  however, 
the  maihng  at  one  time  at  the  post  office  -window  or  other  depository 
designated  by  the  postmaster  of  not  less  than  20  identical,  unsealed  copies 
will  be  sufficient  e\'idence  of  impersonal  character  to  entitle  such  matter 
to  the  third-class  rate. 

Corrections  in  proof  sheets  include  the  alteration  of  the  text  and  in- 
sertion of  new  matter,  as  well  as  the  correction  of  typographical  and  other 
errors ;  include  also  marginal  instructions  to  the  printer  necessary  to  the 
correction  of  the  matter  or  its  proper  appearance  in  print.     Part  of  an 


238  OFFICE   PRACTICE 

article  may  be  entirely  rewritten  if  that  be  necessary  for  correction.  Cor* 
rections  should  be  upon  the  margin  of  or  attached  to  the  proof  sheets. 
Manuscript  of  one  article  cannot  be  enclosed  with  proof  or  corrected  proof 
sheets  of  another  except  at  the  first-class  rate. 

FOURTH-CLASS   MATTER    (DOMESTIC   PARCEL   POST) 

FOURTH-CLASS  MATTER  EMBRACES  that  known  as  domestic 
parcel  post  mail,  and  includes  merchandise,  farm  and  factory  products, 
seeds,  cuttings,  bulbs,  roots,  scions,  and  plants,  books  (including  catalogs,) 
miscellaneous  printed  matter  weighing  more  than  four  pounds,  and  all 
other  mailable  matter  not  embraced  in  the  first,  second,  and  third  classes. 

EXTENT  AND  USEFULNESS  OF  PARCEL  POST.  The  domestic 
parcel  post  offers  a  convenient,  quick,  and  efficient  means  of  transporting 
mailable  parcels  to  any  post  office  in  the  United  States  or  its  possessions. 
The  service  reaches  more  places  than  any  other  transportation  agency.  It 
brings  producers  and  consumers  into  closer  contact,  thus  opening  the  way 
to  reducing  the  high  cost  of  U\-ing.  Special  treatment  and  advantages 
are  accorded  to  shipments  of  farm  products  weighing  between  20  and  50 
pounds.  Low  postage  rates,  based  on  the  service  rendered,  are  provided. 
The  rates  to  near-by  zones  are  particularly  advantageous.  Parcels  may  be 
insured  against  loss  and  may  be  sent  C.  0.  D. 

RATES  OF  POSTAGE  —  TO  BE  FULLY  PREPAID  —  UNSEALED  — 
are  as  follows : 

(a)  Parcels  weighing  4  ounces  or  less,  except  books,  seeds,  plants,  etc., 
1  cent  for  each  ounce  or  fraction  thereof,  any  distance.- 

(b)  Parcels  weighing  8  ounces  or  less  containing  books,  seeds,  cuttings, 
bulbs,  roots,  scions,  and  plants,  1  cent  for  each  2  ounces  or  fraction  thereof, 
regardless  of  distance. 

(c)  Parcels  weighing  more  than  8  ounces  containing  books,  seeds, 
plants,  etc.,  parcels  of  miscellaneous  printed  matter  weighing  more  than 
4  pounds,  and  all  other  parcels  of  fourth-class  matter  weighing  more  than 
4  ounces  are  chargeable,  according  to  distance  or  zone,  at  the  pound  rates 
shown  in  the  following  table,  a  fraction  of  a  pound  being  considered  a 
full  pound : 

FOREIGN   MAIL   MATTER 
RATES    OF   POSTAGE 

The  rates  of  postage  applicable  to  articles  for  foreign  countries  are  as 

follows : 

Cents. 

Letters  for  the  Bahamas,  British  Honduras,  Barbados,  Leeward  Islands, 
British  Guiana,  Dutch  West  Indies,  New  Zealand,  Canada,  Cuba, 
Mexico,  Republic  of  Panama,  city  of  Shanghai  (China),  England, 
Ireland,  Ne^vfoundland,  Scotland  and  Wales,  per  ounce        ...       2 

Letters  for  all  other  foreign  countries  : 

For  the  first  ounce  or  fraction  of  an  ounce 5 

For  each  additional  ounce  or  fraction  of  an  ounce        3 

Single  post  cards  (including  souvenir  cards),  each 2 

Reply  postal  cards,  each 4 


APPENDIX  239 

Cents. 

Printed  matter  of  all  kinds,  for  each  two  ounces  or  fraction  of  two 

ounces 1 

Commercial  papers,  for  the  first  ten  ounces  or  less 5 

For  each  additional  two  ounces  or  fraction  of  two  ounces     ...  1 

Samples  of  merchandise,  for  the  first  four  ounces  or  less        ....  2 

For  each  additional  two  ounces  or  fraction  of  two  ounces    ...  1 

Registration  fee  in  addition  to  postage 10 

CLASSIFICATION 

Articles  for  or  from  foreign  countries  (except  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico, 
the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  the  United  States  Postal  Agency  at 
Shanghai)  are  classified  as  "Letters,"  "Post  Cards,"  "Printed  Matter," 
"  Commercial  Papers,"  and  "  Samples  of  Merchandise."  There  is  no 
provision  in  the  Postal  Union  mails  for  merchandise  other  than  samples. 

LETTERS.  When  a  package  is  prepaid  in  full  at  the  letter  rate,  it  is 
treated  as  letter  mail,  provided  it  does  not  contain  prohibited  articles. 
Such  packages  may  contain  merchandise  not  sent  as  trade  samples. 
Sealed  or  unsealed  packages  which  appear  to  contain  dutiable  matter  will 
be  inspected  by  customs  officers  of  the  country  of  destination  and  the 
proper  customs  duties  will  be  levied. 

POSTAL  CARDS.  The  United  States  international  2-cent  single  and 
reply  postal  cards  should  be  used  for  correspondence  with  foreign  countries, 
except  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico,  the  Republic  of  Panama,  and  Shanghai, 
to  which  the  domestic  1-cent  single  and  reply  postal  cards  are  mailable. 

Private  mailing  cards  are  transmissible  to  foreign  countries  at  the  rate 
of  2  cents  each,  pro\'ided  they  conform  to  the  conditions  prescribed  for 
similar  cards  in  our  domestic  mails.  If  entirely  in  print  and  bearing  no 
personal  message,  they  may  be  sent  at  the  rate  of  1  cent  each.  Those 
addressed  to  Canada,  Cuba,  Mexico,  Republic  of  Panama,  and  Shanghai 
may  be  sent  at  1  cent  each. 

PRINTED  MATTER.  The  rate  of  postage  on  printed  matter  in  the 
foreign  mails  is  one  cent  for  each  two  ounces. 

COMMERCIAL  PAPERS.  This  class  includes  all  instruments  or 
documents  written  or  drawn  wholly  or  partly  by  hand,  which  have  not  the 
character  of  an  actual  and  personal  correspondence. 

SAMPLES  OF  MERCHANDISE.  Packages  of  miscellaneous  mer- 
chandise in  the  regular  mails  for  foreign  countries  (except  Canada,  Cuba, 
Mexico,  Repubhc  of  Panama,  and  Shanghai)  are  restricted  to  bona  fide 
samples  or  specimens  having  no  salable  or  commercial  value  in  excess  of 
that  actually  necessary  for  their  use  as  samples  or  specimens. 

Samples  of  merchandise  must  conform  to  the  following  conditions : 

(1)  They  must  be  placed  in  bags,  boxes,  or  removable  envelopes  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  admit  of  easy  inspection. 

(2)  They  must  not  have  any  salable  value  nor  bear  any  manuscript 
other  than  the  name  or  profession  of  the  sender,  the  address  of  the  ad- 
dressee, a  manufacturer's  or  trade  mark,  numbers,  prices  and  indications 
relating  to  the  weight  or  size  of  the  quantity  to  be  disposed  of,  and  words 
which  are  necessary  to  indicate  precisely  the  origin  and  nature  of  the 
merchandise.  Packages  of  samples  of  merchandise  must  not  exceed  twelve 
ounces  in  weight,  twelve  inches  in  length,  eight  inches  in  breadth,  and  four 
inches  in  thickness. 


240 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


FOREIGN    PARCEL   POST 

For  information  eoneerning  Foreign  Parcel  Post,  see  N.  Y.  Circular  77 
published  by  the  Post-Offiee. 

COMMERCIAL    ABBREVIATIONS 


Account 

acct.  or  a/c 

Building 

bldg. 

Account  current 

acct.  cur. 

Bundle 

bdl. 

Advertisement 

ad.  or  advt. 

Bushel 

bu.  or  bus. 

Agent 

agt. 

Buyer's  Option 

B.  0. 

AH  correct 

0.  K. 

America 

Am.  or 

Canada 

Can. 

Amer. 

Capital 

cap. 

American 

Am.  or 

Captain 

Cap.  or 

Amer. 

Capt. 

Amount 

amt. 

Care  of 

c.  o.  or  c/o 

Anonymous 

anon. 

Cashier 

cash. 

Answer 

ans. 

Cash  (or  coUect)  on 

C.  0.  D.  or 

Ante  meridiem 

a.m. 

dehvery 

e.  o.  d. 

April 

Apr. 

Cash  with  order 

c.  w.  o. 

Assistant 

asst. 

Catalogue 

cat.  or  catal. 

Association 

assn. 

Cent 

e.  or  i 

At 

@ 

Certificate 

cert,  or 

Attorney 

atty. 

certif. 

August 

Aug. 

Chapter 

eh. 

Avenue 

Av.  or  Ave. 

Company 

Cost,  insurance  and 

Co. 

Balance 

bal. 

freight 

e.  i.  f. 

Bank 

bk. 

County 

Co. 

Barrel 

bbl. 

Court  House 

C.  H. 

Basket 

bkt. 

Credit 

or. 

Between 

bet. 

Creditor 

er. 

Bill  of  Exchange 

B/E 

Bill  of  Lading 

B/L 

Days  after  date 

d/d 

Bill  of  Sale 

B/S 

Days'  date 

d/d 

Bills  Payable 

B/P 

Days'  sight 

d/s 

Book 

bk. 

Debtor 

dr. 

Borough 

bor. 

December 

Dec. 

Bought 

bot.. 

Degree 

deg. 

Boxes 

bxs. 

Department 

dept. 

Brother 

Bro. 

Discount 

disc,  or 

Brothers 

Bros. 

disct. 

APPENDIX 

2^ 

Ditto 

do. 

Inch 

in. 

Dividend 

div. 

Incorporated 

inc. 

Di^^sioIl 

div. 

Instant 

Doctor 

Dr. 

(present  month) 

inst. 

Dollar 

dol. 

Institute 

inst. 

Dozen 

doz. 

Insurance 

ins. 

Draft 

dft. 

Interest 

int. 

Inventory 

invt. 

Each 

ea. 

Invoice 

inv. 

East 

E. 

I  owe  you 

I.  0.  U. 

England 

Eng. 

English 

Eng. 

January 

Jan. 

Errors  and  omissions 

Journal 

jour. 

excepted 

e.  &  o.  e. 

Junction 

June. 

Errors  excepted 

e.  e. 

Junior 

Jr. 

Et  cetera 

etc. 

Example 

ex. 

Ledger 

ledg. 

Exchange 

ex. 

Ledger  foUo 

1.  f. 

Express 

exp. 

Letter  of  Credit 

L/C 

Limited 

Um.  or  ltd, 

Fahrenheit 

F.  or  Fahr. 

February 

Feb. 

Madame 

Mme. 

Feet 

ft. 

Mademoiselle 

Mile,  or 

Figure 

fig. 

MdUe. 

Krst  class 

Al 

IVIanufactures 

mfrs. 

Foho 

fol. 

Manufacturing 

mfg. 

Foreign 

for. 

Manuscript 

MS. 

For  example 

e.g. 

Manuscripts 

MSS. 

Free  on  board 

f.    0.    b.    or 

March 

Mar.  or 

F.  0.  B. 

Mch. 

Freight 

frt. 

Measure 

meas. 

Friday 

Fri. 

Memorandum 

memo,  or 
mem. 

Gallon 

gal. 

Merchandise 

mdse. 

Gross 

gro. 

Meridiem  (noon) 

m. 

Messieurs 

Messrs. 

Hogshead 

hhd. 

Minute 

min. 

Honorable 

hon. 

Miscellaneous 

misc. 

Horse-power 

h.  p. 

Mister 

Mr. 

Hundred 

hund. 

Mistress  (Missis) 

Mrs. 

Hundredweight 

ewt. 

Monday 

Mon. 

242 


OFFICE   PRACTICE 


National 

Natl. 

Publishing 

pub. 

No  good 

n.  g. 

North  America 

N.    Am.    or 

Quart 

qt. 

No.  Am. 

Quarter 

qr. 

Northeast 

N.  E. 

Northwest 

N.  W. 

Railroad 

R.  R. 

Nota  bene 

Railway 

Ry. 

(note  well) 

N.  B. 

Receipt 

rect.  or 

Notary  Public 

N.  P. 

rec't 

Number 

No. 

Received 

reed,  or 
ree'd 

October 

Oct. 

Reference 

ref. 

Ounce 

oz. 

Register 

reg. 

Package 

pkg. 

Saint 

St. 

Page 

P- 

Saturday 

Sat. 

Pages 

pp. 

Schooner 

schr. 

Paid 

pd. 

Secretary 

sec. 

Pair 

pr. 

Section 

sec. 

Part 

pt. 

Sellers'  Option 

S.  0. 

Payment 

payt.  or 

Senior 

Sr. 

paym't 

Shilling 

s. 

Peck 

pk. 

Sight  draft 

S/D 

Pecks 

pks. 

South 

S.  or  so. 

Pennyweight 

pwt.  or  dwt. 

Southeast 

S.  E. 

Per  annum 

per  an. 

Square 

sq. 

Per  centum 

per  cent. 

Steamer 

str. 

or  % 

Steamship 

s.  s. 

Pint 

pt. 

Street 

St. 

Postmaster 

P.M. 

Sunday 

Sun. 

Post  meridiem 

Superintendent 

supt. 

(afternoon) 

p.m. 

Post  Office 

P.O. 

Postscript 

p.  s. 

Territory 

ter. 

Pounds  sterling 

£ 

That  is  (id  est) 

i.e. 

Pounds,  shillings, 

Thursday 

Thurs. 

and  pence 

£  sd 

Ton 

T. 

Preferred 

pf.  or  pfd. 

Tonnage 

tonn. 

President 

Pres. 

Township 

tp. 

Proximo  (next 

Treasurer 

treas. 

month) 

prox. 

PubUsher 

pub. 

Ultimo  (last  month) 

ult. 

APPENDIX 

Versus  (against) 
Vice-President 
Videlicet  (to  wit) 
Volume 

vs.  or  V.              Week 
V.  P.                   Weight 
viz.               ,        West 
vol.                      Wharf 

wk. 
wt. 
W. 

whf. 

Way  bill 
Wednesday 

W/B 
Wed. 

Yard 
Year 

yd. 
yr. 

243 


INDEX 


Abbreviations,  commercial,  240. 

Addresses,  cable,  165  ;    foreign,  54. 

Addressing  envelopes,  34  ;  window  en- 
velopes, 34. 

Addressing  letters  or  envelopes  from 
cards  (filing),  71. 

Addressing  machines,  190. 

Address,  text,  and  signature  (cable- 
grams), 175. 

Almanacs,  232. 

^Vlphabetic  filing,  78  ;  advantages,  83  ; 
disadvantages,  83  ;  filing,  80  ;  filing 
name,  82  ;  helpful  suggestions,  83  ; 
indexing,  78  ;  out  guides,  82  ;  sort- 
ing box  or  distributor,  82. 

Alphabetizing  (filing),  69;  dictionary 
arrangement,  69  ;  directorj-  arrange- 
ment, 69. 

Americas,  53. 

Amounts,  verifying  (mail),  48. 

Answering  telephone  calls,  126,  129. 

Appendix,  235  ;  commercial  abbre^•ia- 
tions,  240 ;  domestic  and  foreign 
mail  classification  and  rates,  235. 

Arrangement  of  tools  and  materials 
(mail),  44. 

Atlases,  232. 

Automatic  typewriters,  187. 

B 

Banning,  Kendall,  quoted,  18. 

Billing  and  computing  machines,  190. 

Bills,  verifying  monthly  telephone,  139. 

Biographies,  217,  218,  219. 

Blue  Book,  Dau's,  208,  209. 

Box  fUe,  72. 

BradstreeVs  Credit  Rating  Book,  226,  227, 

228. 
Bre\-ity  (cablegrams  and  telegrams),  166. 


BuUinger's  Monitor  Guide,  220-222; 
Postal  and  Shippers  Guide,  224-225. 

Business  journals,  222  ;  Exporters'  En- 
cyclopedia, 223  ;  Monitor  Guide,  220- 
222  ;  Postal  and  Shippers  Guide,  222, 
224,  225. 

Business  Man's  Library,  18. 

C 

Cabinets,  filing,  77. 

Cable  addresses,  registered  and  reversi- 
ble, 165. 

Cable  codes,  private,  164  ;  public,  163. 

Cablegrams,  Classes  of  Service,  156 ; 
cable  forms,  156  ;  cable  letters,  158  ; 
deferred  cablegrams,  158 ;  regular 
cablegrams,  156;  time  differences, 
161  ;  transfer  of  money  by  cable, 
IGl ;  week-end  cable  letters,  159; 
wireless  cable,  161  ; 
Code  Systems,  163  ;  private,  164  ; 
public,  163 ;  registered  cable  ad- 
dresses, 165  ;  reversible  cable  ad- 
dresses, 166 ;  translating  messages, 
166; 
Paying  for  the  Message,  175  ;  date, 
text,  and  signature,  175 ;  general 
provisions  governing  the  count  of 
cablegrams,  176  ;  how  cablegrams 
are  counted  and  charged  for,  175 ; 
languages  —  plain,  code,  cipher,  and 
combinations,  175 ; 
Sending  the  Message  (see  under 
Telegrams,  Sending  the  Message, 
170)  ; 
Writing  the  Message  (see  under 
Telegrams,  Writing  the  Telegram, 
166). 

Cablegrams,  defined,  142. 

Cable  forms,  156. 

Cable  letters,  158. 


245 


246 


INDEX 


Calculating  machines,  194  ;  listing,  194  ; 
non-listing,  196. 

Calling,  telephone,  127 ;  departments 
in  large  firms,  128 ;  directly,  127 ; 
indirectly,  127. 

Calls,  telephone,  119;  local,  119;  partic- 
ular-person toll,  119;  two  number 
toll,  119. 

Carbon  copies,  advantages  and  disad- 
vantages, 58. 

Card  index  systems,  103  ;  catalogue  rec- 
ords, 104  ;  desk  tickler,  109  ;  em- 
ployees' records,  104 ;  equipment, 
103  ;  factory  cost  records,  109  ;  in- 
stalling a  system,  112;  lawj^ers'  rec- 
ords, 107 ;  magazine  subscription 
records,  111;  school  records,  104; 
signal.  111;  tabbed,  110;  types  of, 
103. 

Cash  registers,  200. 

Catalogue  records  (filing),  104. 

Central  (telephone  operator),  120. 

Charges  for  cablegrams,  175  ;  telegrams, 
172. 

Checking  mail  enclosures,  3 ;  express 
and  freight,  5  ;  general,  3  ;  money, 
3  ;    omissions,  4  ;    separate  cover,  4. 

Check  perforators,  200. 

Check  protectors,  200. 

Checks,  48. 

Cipher  language  (cablegrams),  175. 

City  directories,  203  ;  classified,  205  ; 
copartnership  corporation,  206 ;  gen- 
eral telephone,  206. 

Clarity  (cablegrams  and  telegrams),  167. 

Classes  of  service  (telegrams  and  cable- 
grams), relative  advantages  of  dif- 
ferent, 151. 

Classes  of  telephone  calls,  119;  local, 
119;  particular-person,  119;  two- 
number,  119. 

Classification  and  rates  (domestic  and 
foreign  mail),  235. 

Classification  (filing),  67;  auditing,  67; 
correspondence,  67 ;  miscellaneous, 
67. 

Classified  directories,  business,  205 ; 
telephone,  206. 

Clock  dating  machines,  11. 

Code  language  (cablegrams),  175. 

Code  systems,  163  ;  private,  164  ;  pubhc, 
163  ;  registered  cable  addresses,  165  ; 


reversible     cable     addresses,     165 ; 

translating  messages,  166. 
C.  O.  D.  maU  packages,  55. 
Coin  box  telephones,  139. 
Coin  counters,  200. 
Collier's  Weekly,  quoted,  125. 
Commercial  abbre\'iations,  240. 
Composing    cablegrams    and    telegrams, 

166  ;      brevity,    166  ;      clarity,    167  ; 

legibility,  167. 
Composition,  42. 

Computing  and  billing  machines,  196. 
Confirming  and  duplicating  cablegrams 

and  telegrams,  168;  duplicates,  168; 

originals,  168 ;    triplicates,  168. 
Copartnership  and  Corporation  Directories, 

Trovfs,  206. 
Copying  the  correspondence,  58  ;  carbon 

copy,  58  ;     helpful  suggestions,  64  ; 

letter-press  copy,  59  ;     roller-press 

copy,  63. 
Cord  systems  (telephone),  136. 
Correspondence,  copying  the,  58 ;     ma- 
chines for  the,  184  ;   mailing  the,  47. 
Correspondents     (numeric    filing),     85; 

new,  85  ;   old,  86. 
Credit   rating   books,   227 ;      Bradstreet, 

226-228 ;  Dun,  227. 
Currency  (mail),  47. 

D 

Date,  address,  and  signature  in  tele- 
grams, 172. 

Dating  mail,  9  ;    mechanical  de\'ices,  10. 

Dau's  Blue  Book,  208,  209. 

Day  letters  (telegrams),  148. 

Deferred  cablegrams,  158. 

Delivering  cablegrams  and  telegrams, 
171  ;  report  of  delivery,  171. 

Desk  telephones,  135. 

Desk  tickler  (filing),  109. 

Devices,  mechanical  (mail),  10;  clock  dat- 
ing machines,  11 ;  rubber  stamps,  10. 

Dewey  decimal  system,  94. 

Dictating  correspondence,  16  ;  dictator's 
problem,  18 ;  stenographer's  prob- 
lem, 22. 

Dictating  machines,  193  ;  dictaphones, 
193 ;   phonographs,  193. 

Dictator's  problem,  18 ;  stationery,  20 ; 
style,  20. 


INDEX 


247 


Dictionaries,  regular  and  thesaurus,  215. 

Dictionary  arrangement  defined,  69. 

Directories,  Business,  203  ;  classified 
business,  205 ;  classified  telephone, 
133,  206 ;  copartnership  and  cor- 
poration, 206  ;  general  city,  203  ; 
Miscellaneous,  211;  general  tele- 
phone, 133,  211;  institutional, 
professional,  and  trade,  212  ; 
Social  (blue  books,  club  lists,  social 
registers),  208. 

Directory  arrangement  defined,  69. 

Distributor  or  sorting  box  (filing),  82. 

Domestic  and  foreign  mail  classification 
and  rates,  235. 

Dun's  Credit  Rating  Book,  227. 

Duplicating  and  confirming  telegrams, 
168. 

Duplicating  machines,  185  ;  automatic 
typewriters,  187  ;  gelatin  duplica- 
tors, 186  ;  letter-cojjiers,  189  ;  mime- 
ographs, 186 ;   multigraphs,  187. 


E 

Editing  mail,  42. 

Emergency  telephone  calls,  130. 

Employees'  records  (filing),  104. 

Enclosures,  checking  mail,  3  ;  checks,  48 ; 
currency,  47  ;  express  and  freight,  5  ; 
express  money  orders,  48  ;  general, 
3  ;  money,  3  ;  omissions,  4  ;  postal 
money  orders,  48 ;  separate  cover, 
4 ;  small  pamphlets  and  printed 
matter,  47  ;  stamps,  47  ;  verifying 
amounts,  48. 

Envelopes,  adddressing,  34. 

Equipment  (filing),  77;  cabinets,  77; 
folders,  77  ;  follower  blocks,  77  ; 
guides,  77. 

Equipment  (telephone),  131 ;  general 
equipment,  131  ;  private  extensions, 
133  ;   telephone  directories,  133. 

Erasures,  35. 

Examining  mail,  3  ;  checking  enclosures, 
3  ;   looking  for  signatures,  3. 

Expediting  mail,  56  ;  fast  mail  trains,  56  ; 
foreign  mail,  57 ;  special  delivery, 
57. 

Exporters'  Encyclopedia,  223. 

Express  money  orders,  48. 

Extensions,  private  telephone,  133. 


Extra  words  in  cablegrams,  175 ;     tele- 
grams, 172. 


Factory  cost  records  (filing),  109. 

Fast  mail  trains,  56. 

Fast  regular  telegrams,  145. 

Filing  (advantages) ,  alphabetic,  83 ; 
geographic,  91 ;  numeric,  86  ;  sub- 
ject, 95. 

Filing  cablegrams  and  telegrams,  170; 
junior  clerks,  170 ;  offices  of  the 
companies,  170  ;  telegraph  messen- 
gers, 170 ;   telephones,  170. 

Filing  defined,  67. 

Filing  (disadvantages) ,  alphabetic,  83 ; 
geographic,  92  ;  numeric,  88  ;  sub- 
ject, 95. 

Filing,  Flat  Systems,  71 ;  box  fiile,  72  ; 
flat  or  loose  sheet  drawer,  73  ;  Shan- 
non file,  74  ;  spindle,  71 ;  transfer- 
ring, 75 ; 
Miscellaneous  Records,  100  ;  card 
index  systems,  103  ;  catalogue  rec- 
ords, 104  ;  desk  tickler,  109  ;  em- 
ployees' records,  104 ;  equipment, 
103  ;  factory  cost  records,  109  ;  in- 
stalling a  system,  112;  lawyers' 
records,  107 ;  loose-leaf  systems, 
101 ;  magazine  subscription  records, 
111;  school  records,  104;  signal 
card  systems.  111;  tabbed  card 
systems,  110  ;  types  of  card  systems, 
103; 
Office  Records,  66  ;  addressing  let- 
ters or  envelopes  from  cards,  71 ; 
alphabetizing,  69  ;  auditing,  67  ; 
classification,  67 ;  correspondence 
67 ;  dictionary  arrangement  de- 
fined, 69 ;  directory  arrangement 
defined,  69  ;  filing  defined,  67  ;  in- 
dexing, 69  ;  miscellaneous,  67  ; 
Vertical  Systems,  77  ;  advantages, 
83,86,91,95;  alphabetic,  93  ;  al- 
phabetic filing  78 ;  cabinets,  77  ; 
Dewey  decimal  system,  94 ;  disad- 
vantages, 83,  88,  92,  95  ;  equipment, 
77;  filing,  80,  85,  90,  96;  filing 
name,  82;  folders,  77;  follower 
blocks,  77 ;  follow-up  filing,  96 ; 
geographic  filing,    89 ;    guides,   77 ; 


248 


INDEX 


helpful  suggestions,  83 ;  indexing, 
78,  85,  89,  96  ;  labeling  transfer  cases, 
98  ;  methods  of  transferring,  99  ;  new 
correspondent,  85  ;  numeric,  93  ; 
numeric  filing,  85  ;  old  correspond- 
ent, 86  ;  out  guides,  82  ;  records  of 
transfers,  99  ;  simple  numeric,  93  ; 
sorting  box  or  distributor,  82 ; 
special  files,  98 ;  state  and  alpha- 
betic, 89-90  ;  state  and  town,  90  ; 
straight  town,  90  ;  subject  filing,  93  ; 
transfer  cases,  98  ;  transferring,  98  ; 
variations,  89. 

Filing  name,  alphabetic,  82. 

Financial  machines,  194. 

Flat  or  loose  sheet  drawer  (filing),  73. 

Flat  rates  (telephone),  139. 

Flat  systems  (filing),  71;  box  file,  72; 
flat  or  loose  sheet  drawer,  73  ;  Shan- 
non file,  74  ;  spindle,  71 ;  transfer- 
ring, 75. 

Folders  (fiUng),  77. 

Folding  letters  by  hand,  50 ;  machines, 
52. 

Follower  blocks  (filing),  77. 

Follow-up  filing,  96  ;    indexing,  96. 

Foreign  mail,  57  ;  addresses,  54  ;  classifi- 
cation and  rates,  238. 

Forms,  cablegrams,  156  ;   telegrams,  144. 

Full-rate,  telegraphic  messages,  145. 

G 

Gazetteers,  229 ;  Longman's  Gazetteer 
of  the  World,  231 ;  Polk's  Michigan 
Gazetteer,  230  ;  state  (or  territorial) , 
229;    world  (or  general),  229. 

Gelatin  duplicators,  186. 

General  information,  books  of,  217. 

General  provisions  governing  the  count 
of  cablegrams,  176  ;    telegrams,  173. 

Geographic  filing,  89;  advantages,  91; 
disadvantages,  92  ;  filing,  90  ;  in- 
dexing, 89  ;  state  and  alphabetic, 
89-90  ;  state  and  town,  90  ;  straight 
town,  90. 

Government  year  books,  233. 

Guides,  out  (filing),  82. 

H 

How  cablegrams  are  counted  and  charged 
for,  175. 


How  telegrams  are  counted  and  charged 
for,  172. 


Incoming  telephone  calls,  117. 

Indexing  (filing),  78,  85,  89  ;   defined,  69. 

Individual  telephone  lines,  134. 

Information  (telephone  operator),  121. 

Initialing  mail,  32. 

Initiative  and  intelligence  (mail),  23. 

Installing  a  card  index  system,  112. 

Installing  the  telephone,  134 ;  private 
branch  exchange  switchboards,  135  ; 
public  telephones,  139 ;  telephone 
instruments,  135 ;  telephone  sub- 
scribers, 134 ;  verifying  monthly 
bills,  139. 

Institutional  Directories,  Polk's,  212,  214. 

Instruments  (telephone),  wall  and  desk, 
135. 

Insuring  mail,  55. 


Journals,  business,  222  ;     general,  222  ; 

special,  223. 
Junior  clerks,  170. 


K 


Keying  mail,  34. 


Lamson  carriers,  200. 

Languages  —  plain,  code,  cipher,  and 
combinations,  175. 

Lawyers'  records,  107. 

Legibility  (cablegrams  and  telegrams), 
167. 

Letter  copiers,  59,  63,  64,  189. 

Letter,  placing  the,  26. 

Letter-press  copy,  59 ;  advantages  and 
disadvantages,  59 ;  indexing  letter- 
press books,  62  ;  method  of  opera- 
tion, 60. 

Liability  of  telegraph  companies  for 
errors,  143. 

Library  Bxireau,  quoted,  66. 

Library  of  Business  Practice,  quoted,  1. 

Listing  machines,  194. 

Local  telephone  calls,  119. 

Long  distance  telephone  (or  toll)  opera- 
tor, 123. 


INDEX 


249 


Longman's  Gazetteer  of  the  World,  23 1 . 
Loose-leaf  filing  systems,  101. 

M 

Machines,  Correspondence  Depart- 
ment, 184 ;  addressing  machines, 
190 ;  dictaphones,  193 ;  dictating 
machines,  193 ;  duplicating  ma- 
chines, 185 ;  gelatin  duplicators, 
186  ;  letter  copiers,  189  ;  mailing 
machines,  192  ;  mimeographs,  186  ; 
multigraphs  and  automatic  type- 
writers, 187  ;  phonographs,  193  ; 
Financial,  Department,  194  ;  billing 
and  computing  machines,  196  ;  cal- 
culating machines,  194 ;  listing 
machines,  194  ;  non-listing  machines, 
196  ;  statistical  machines,  198  ; 
Miscellaneous  (cash  registers,  check 
perforators,  check  protectors,  coin 
counters,  Lamson  carriers,  number- 
ing machines,  package-tiers,  paper 
fasteners,  pencil  sharpeners,  telauto- 
graphs, time  clocks),  200. 

Magazine  subscription  records.  111. 

Mail  and  telephone  ^wrsus  telegrams  and 
cablegrams,  142. 

Mail  (Incoming),  Dating  the  Mail, 
9;  clock  dating  machines,  11;  me- 
chanical devices,  10;  rubber  stamps, 
10; 
Examining  the  Mail,  3  ;  checking 
enclosures,  3  ;  express  and  freight 
enclosures,  5  ;  general  enclosures,  3  ; 
looking  for  the  signature,  3  ;  money 
enclosures,  3  ;  omissions,  4  ;  sepa- 
rate cover,  4  ; 
Opening  the  Mail,   1  ;     mechanical 

devices,  2 ; 
Sorting  the  Mail,  5 ;   where  the  vol- 
ume of  mail  is  enormous,  8  ;  large,  7  ; 
small,  6 ; 
Systematizing  the  Work,   11  ;     ap- 
plied to  incoming  mail,  12. 

Mailing    machines,    192  ;       folding,    52  ; 
.sealing,  52  ;    stamping,  53. 

Mail  (Outgoing),  Copying  the  Cor- 
respondence, 58 ;    advantages,  58- 
59  ;  carbon  copy,  58  ;  disadvantages 
58-59 ;       helpful    suggestions,    64 
indexing     letter-press     books,     62 


letter-press  copy,  59 ;  method  of 
operation,  60 ;  roller-press  copier, 
63  ;  systematizing  the  work,  65  ; 
Dictating  the  Correspondence,  16  ; 
dictator's  problem,  18 ;  initiative 
and  intelligence,  23  ;  mannerisms, 
23  ;  mechanics  of  the  notebook,  24  ; 
preparedness,  22  ;  stationery,  20  ; 
stenographer's  problem,  22  ;  style, 
20; 
Expediting  the  Correspondence, 
56  ;  fast  mail  trains,  56  ;  foreign 
mail,  57  ;  special  delivery,  57  ; 
Mailing  the  Correspondence,  47 ; 
checks,  48;  C.  O.  D.  packages,  55; 
currency,  47  ;  enclosures,  47  ;  ex- 
press money  orders,  48  ;  folding  by 
hand,  50  ;  folding  machines,  52  ;  for- 
eign addresses,  54  ;  insufficient  post- 
age, 53  ;  insuring  mail,  55  ;  postal 
money  orders,  48 ;  postal  regula- 
tions, 53  ;  postal  scales,  54  ;  prepar- 
ing mail  for  the  post-office,  50 ; 
printed  matter  under  separate  cover, 
50  ;  registering  mail,  55  ;  safeguard- 
ing mail,  54  ;  sealing  by  hand,  52  ; 
sealing  machines,  52  ;  signing  the 
rriail,  50 ;  small  pamphlets  and 
printed  matter,  47 ;  stamping  by 
hand,  52  ;  stamping  machines,  53  ; 
stamps,  47  ;  verifying  amounts,  48  ; 
Typewriting  the  Correspondence, 
26  ;  addressing  envelopes,  34  ;  ar- 
rangement of  tools  and  materials, 
44  ;  ■  carbons,  39  ;  composition,  42  ; 
editing,  42  ;  erasures,  35  ;  estimat- 
ing stenographic  notes,  35  ;  initial- 
ing, 32  ;  keying,  34  ;  margins,  28  ; 
mechanics  of  the  language,  41  ;  me- 
chanics of  the  typewriter,  35  ;  noting 
enclosures,  34  ;  order  of  operations, 
46  ;  pivoting,  32  ;  placing  the  letter, 
26  ;  second  page,  30  ;  spacing,  28  ; 
spelling,  41  ;  subheadings,  30;  sys- 
tematizing the  work,  44  ;  typewriter 
ribbons,  38  ;  typewriting  machines, 
39  ;   uneven  coloring,  36. 

Making  and  answering  telephone  calls, 
126;  answering  calls,  129';  emer- 
gency calls,  130;    making  calls,  127. 

Manager,  traffic  (telephone  operator), 
123. 


250 


INDEX 


Mannerisms  (mail),  23. 

Manners,  telephone,  114;  important 
rules,  117  ;   using  the  voice,  116. 

Margins  (mail),  28. 

Marine  cable  and  telegraphic  service, 
152. 

Mechanical  devices  (mail),  10;  clock 
dating  stamps,  11 ;  rubber  stamps, 
10. 

Mechanics  of  the  language  (mail),  41; 
composition,  42  ;  editing,  42  ;  spell- 
ing, 41. 

Mechanics  of  the  typewriter,  35 ;  car- 
bons, 39  ;  erasures,  35 ;  machines, 
39  ;  ribbons,  38  ;  uneven  coloring,  36. 

Message  rates  (telephone"),  139. 

Messages,  paying  for  (cablegrams  and 
telegrams),  171. 

Messages,  taking  telephone,  129. 

Messengers,  telegraph,  170. 

Michigan  Gazetteer,  Polk's,  230. 

Mimeographs,  186. 

Miscellaneous  directories,  211. 

Miscellaneous  filing  records,  100 ;  card 
index  systems,  103  ;  loose-leaf  sys- 
tems, 101. 

Miscellaneous  machines,  200. 

Monitor  Guide,  BulUnger's,  220-222. 

Monitor  switchboards  (telephone),  135. 

Multigraphs,  187. 

Municipal  year  books,  233. 

N 

Night  letters  (or  night  lettergrams),  149. 

Night  messages,  148. 

Non-listing  machines,  196. 

Noting  enclosures,  34. 

Numbering  macliines,  200. 

Numeric  filing,  85 ;  advantages,  86 ; 
disadvantages,  88  ;  indexing,  85  ; 
new  correspondents,  85  ;  old  corre- 
spondents, 86  ;    variations,  89. 

O 

Office  filing .  records,  66;  classification, 
67  ;    filing,  67  ;    indexing,  69. 

Offices  of  cable  and  telegraph  companies, 
170. 

One-operator  switchboards  (telephone), 
135. 


Opening  the  mail,  1 ;  mechanical  devices, 
2. 

Operating  the  telephone,- 118 ;  calling 
central,  120  ;  calling  information, 
121 ;  calling  long  distance  (or  toll 
operator),  123;  calling  manager, 
123  ;    classes  of  telephone  calls,  119. 

Order  of  operations  (mail),  46. 

Outgoing  telephone  calls,  117. 

Out  guides  (filing),  82. 


Package-tiers,  200. 

Pamphlets  and  printed  matter  (maU,  47). 

Paper  fasteners,  200. 

Particular-person  toll  calls  (telephone), 
119,  123,  124. 

Party  lines  (telephone),  135. 

Paying  for  cablegrams  and  telegrams,  171. 

Pay  station  telephones,  139. 

Pencil  sharpeners,  200. 

Phonographs,  193. 

Pivoting  (mail),  32. 

Placing  the  letter,  26. 

Plain  language  (cablegrams),  175. 

Polk's  Institutional  Directories,  212,  214; 
Michigan  Gazetteer,  230;  Professional 
Directories,  212,  213;  Trade  Direc- 
tories, 212. 

Postage,  insufficient,  53. 

Postal  and  Shippers  Guide,  BulUnger's, 
222   224,  225. 

Postal  guide,  official,  233. 

Postal  money  orders,  48. 

Postal  regulations,  53  ;  C.  O.  D.  pack- 
ages, 55  ;  foreign  addresses,  54  ; 
insufficient  postage,  53  ;  insuring 
mail,  55  ;  postal  scales,  54  ;  regis- 
tering mail,  55  ;  safeguarding  mail, 
54. 

Postal  scales,  54. 

Preparedness  (mail),  22. 

Preparing  mail  for  the  post-office,  50 ; 
filing  by  hand,  50;  machines,  52, 
53  ;  sealing  by  hand,  52  ;  stamping 
by  hand,  52. 

Printed  matter  under  separate  cover,  50. 

Private  branch  exchange  switchboard 
systems,  135. 

Private  code  systems  (cablegrams  and 
telegrams),  164. 


INDEX 


251 


Professional  Directories,  Polk's,  212,  213. 
Public    code    systems    (cablegrams    and 

telegrams),  163. 
Public  telephones,  139. 

R 

Rate  folders  (telegrams  and  cablegrams) , 
143. 

Rates  and  classification,  domestic  and 
foreign  mail,  235. 

Rates  (telephone),  fiat  and  message,  139. 

Records,  miscellaneous  filing,  100 ;  cata- 
logue, 104 ;  employees',  104 ;  fac- 
tory cost,  109 ;  lawyers',  107 ; 
school,   104. 

Reference  Books,  Dictionaries,  215  ; 
regular,  215  ;  thesaurus,  215  ; 
Directories,  202  ;  business,  203  ;  mis- 
cellaneous, 211;  social,  208; 
General  Information,  217 ;  alma- 
nacs, 232  ;  atlases,  232  ;  biographies, 
217  ;  business  journals,  222  ;  cable 
books,  233 ;  credit  rating  books, 
227  ;  gazetteers,  229  ;  postal  guides, 
233 ;  year  books,  233. 

Registered  cable  addresses,  165. 

Registering  mail,  55. 

Regular  cablegrams,  156. 

Relative  advantages  of  different  classes 
of  ser\ace  (telegrams  and  cable- 
grams), 151. 

Repeating  cablegrams  and  telegrams, 
168. 

Report  of  telegraphic  deliveiy,  171. 

Reversible  cable  addresses,  165. 

Roget's  Thesaurus,  215-216. 

Roller-press  copier,  63. 

Rubber  stamps,  10. 

Rules  (telephone),  117;  incoming  calls, 
117;   outgoing  calls,  117. 

S 

Safeguarding  mail,  54. 

Scales,  postal,  54. 

School  records,  104. 

Sealing  mail  by  hand,  52  ;   machines,  52. 

Second  page  (mail),  30. 

Sending  caljlegrams  and  telegrams,  170 ; 

delivering  the  message,  171  ;    filing 

the  message,  170. 
Shannon  file,  74. 


Sharpeners,  pencils,  200. 

Signal  card  systems  (filing).  111. 

Signature,  looking  for  the  (mail),  3. 

Signing  mail,  50. 

Simple  numeric  filing  (subject),  93. 

Social  directories  or  registers,  208. 

Sorting  box  or  distributor  (filing),  82. 

Sorting  mail,  5  ;  enormous,  8  ;  large,  7  ; 
small,  6. 

Spacing  letters,  28. 

Special  delivery,  57. 

Special  files,  98. 

Spelling,  41. 

Spindle  (filing),  71. 

Stamping  mail  by  hand,  52 ;  machines, 
53. 

Stamps,  47  ;   rubber,  10. 

State  and  alphabetic  (filing),  89-90. 

State  and  town  (filing),  90. 

StationerJ^  20. 

Statistical  Abstract  of  the  United  States, 
233. 

Statistical  machines,  198. 

Stenographer's  problem  (mail),  22;  ini- 
tiative and  intelligence,  23  ;  manner- 
isms, 23 ;  mechanics  of  the  note- 
book, 24 ;  preparedness,  22. 

Stenographic  notebook,  mechanics  of 
the,  24. 

Stenographic  notes,  estimating,  35. 

Straight  town  (filing),  90. 

Style  (maU),  20. 

Subheadings  (mail),  30. 

Subject  filing,  93  ;  advantages,  95  ;  al- 
phabetic, 93 ;  Dewey  decimal 
system,  94  ;  disadvantages,  95  ;  nu- 
meric, 93  ;  simple  numeric,  93. 

Subscribers,  telephone,  134. 

Suggestions,  helpful  filing,  83  ;  mail,  65. 

Switchboards  (telephone),  135;  cord, 
136;  monitor.  136;  one-operator 
switchboards,  135. 

Systematizing  11,  44  ;  applied  to  incom- 
ing mail,  12  ;  arrangement  of  tools 
and  materials,  44 ;  order  of  opera- 
tions, 46. 


Tabbed  card  systems,   110;     magazine 

subscription  records,  111. 
Tariff  or  rate  folders  and  forms,  143. 


252 


INDEX 


Telautographs,  200. 

Telegrams,  Classes  of  Service  — 
Cablegrams  (see  under  Cable- 
grams —  Classes  of  Service,  156)  ; 
Classes  of  Service  —  Telegrams, 
144  ;  day  letters,  148  ;  fast  regular 
telegrams,  145  ;  forms,  144  ;  marine 
service,  152  ;  night  letters  (or  letter- 
grams), 149;  night  messages,  148; 
relative  advantages  of  different 
classes  of  service,  151  ;  time  differ- 
ences, 155 ;  transfer  of  money  by 
telegraph,  151 ;  wireless  telegraph, 
152; 
Code  Systems  (see  under  Cablegrams 

—  Code  Systems,  163) ; 
Paying  for  the  Message,  171 ;  date, 
address,  and  signature,  172  ;  extra 
words  in  an  address,  172 ;  in  the 
date,  172 ;  in  the  signature,  173 ; 
general  pro\dsions  governing  the 
count  of  telegrams,  173  ; 
Sending  the  Message,  170;  deliver- 
ing the  message,  171  ;  filing  the  mes- 
sage, 170 ;  junior  clerks,  170 ; 
offices  of  the  companies,  170  ;  report 
of  deliver^-,  171 ;  telegraph  messen- 
gers, 170;  telephones,  170; 
.  Writing  the  Message,  166  ;  brevity, 
166  ;  clarity,  167  ;  composing  the 
message,  166  ;  confirming  and  dupU- 
cating  the  message,  168  ;  duplicates, 
168;  legibility,  167  ;  originals,  108  ; 
repeating  the  message,  168  ;  tripli- 
cates, 168. 

Telegrams,  defined,  142. 

Telephone  cUrectories,  206,  211. 

Telephone,   Equipping  the   Desk    or 
Booth,    131 ;      general    equipment, 
131 ;    private  extensions,  133  ;    tele- 
phone directories,  133  ; 
Installing    the    Telephone,     134 
coin-box,  139  ;     cord  systems,   136 
desk  telephone,  135  ;    flat  rate,  139 
indi%'idual  lines,  134  ;    message  rate 
139 ;      monitor   switchboards,    136 
one-operator      switchboards,      135 
party  lines,  135  ;    pay  stations,  139 
private    branch    exchange    switch- 
board   systems,    135 ;     public    tele- 
phones, 139;  telephone  instruments, 
135 ;     telephone    subscribers,    134 ; 


verifying  monthly  bills,  139 ;  wall 
telephones,  135  ; 
Making  and  Answering  Calls,  126; 
answering  the  call,  129 ;  calling 
directly,  127 ;  calling  indirectly, 
127  ;  calling  up  departments  in  large 
firms,  128  ;  emergency  calls,  130  ; 
making  the  call,  127  ;  taking  a  mes- 
sage, 129 ; 
Operating  the  Telephone,  118; 
central,  120 ;  classes  of  telephone 
calls,  119;  information,  121;  local 
calls,  119;  long  distance  (or  toll 
operator),  123;  particular-person 
toll  calls,  119,  123,  124;  traffic 
manager,  123 ;  two-number  toll 
calls,  119,  123,  124  ; 
Telephone  Manners,  114;  impor- 
tant rules,  117  ;  incoming  calls,  117  ; 
outgoing  calls,  117  ;  using  the  voice, 
116. 

Telephoning  telegrams,  170. 

Thesaurus,  Roget's,  215,  216. 

Time  clocks,  200. 

Time  differences  (Central,  Eastern, 
Mountain,   Pacific),   155,   161. 

Toll  (or  long  distance)  telephone  opera- 
tor, 123. 

Trade  directories,  212. 

Trains,  fast  mail,  56. 

Transfer  of  money  by  cable,  161  ;  tele- 
graph, 151. 

Transferring  (filing),  98;  methods  of, 
75,  99  ;  labeling  cases,  98  ;  records 
of  transfers,  99 ;    transfer  cases,  98. 

Translating  cablegrams  and  telegrams, 
166. 

Two-number  toll  telephone  calls,  119, 
123,  124. 

Typewriter,  mechanics  of  the,  35 ;  car- 
bons, 39 ;  erasures,  35 ;  machines, 
39  ;  ribbons,  38  ;  uneven  coloring, 
36. 

Typewriter  ribbons,  38 ;  copjang,  38 ; 
hectograph,  39  ;   record,  38. 

Typewriters,  39  ;    automatic,  187. 

Typewriting  correspondence,  26. 


U 

Uneven  coloring  of  typewritten  letters, 
36. 


INDEX 


253 


Variations  (numeric  filing),  89. 

Verifj-ing  amounts  (mail),  48. 

Vertical  filing  systems,  77 ;  alphabetic 
filing,  78;  equipment,  77;  follow- 
up  filing,  96  ;  geographic  filing,  89  ; 
numeric  filing,  85  ;  special  files,  98  ; 
subject,  93  ;    transferring,  98. 

Voice  in  telephoning,  use  of,  116. 

W 

Wall  telephones,  1.35 
Week-end  cable  letters,  159. 


Who's  Who  (American  and  English  edi- 
tions), 217,  218,  219. 

Window  envelopes,  34. 

Wireless  cable,  161  ;    telegraph,  152. 

Wooley,  Edward  Mott,  quoted,  1. 

Writing  cablegrams  and  telegrams,  166 ; 
composing  the  message,  166 ;  con- 
firming and  duplicating  the  message, 
168 ;    repeating  the  message,   168. 


Year   books,    233; 
municipal,  233. 


government,    233 ; 


IMnted  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


npHE  following  pages  contain  advertisements  of  a 
few  of  the  Macmillan  books  on  kindred  subjects 


Commercial  Correspondence  and 
Postal  Information  (Revised) 

By  CARL    L.    ALTMAIER,  Director    of  Department   of  Commerce 
and  Finance,  Drexel  Institute,  Philadelphia 

Cloth,  i2nio,  ill.,  2j2  pages,  $.yo 

This  book  belongs  to  that  type  of  texts  in  which 
useful  information  is  given  in  simple,  concrete, 
usable  form.  The  old  edition  set  the  pace  for 
books  of  its  kind  and  it  has  been  widely  used  for 
several  years.  In  the  new  edition  the  author  has 
improved  the  opportunity  both  to  effect  certain 
advantageous  changes  and  to  make  important  ad- 
ditions. There  is  a  new  chapter  on  Letter  Filing 
and  Card  Indexing,  and  the  chapter  on  Postal 
Information  has  been  rewritten  and  enlarged  to 
include  the  latest  rulings  in  this  field. 

The  whole  purpose  of  the  book  is  to  help  the 
student  to  write  a  good  letter,  to  carry  on  a  suc- 
cessful correspondence  in  the  commercial  field. 
There  is  a  chapter  on  the  importance  of  letter 
writing,  another  on  the  technique  of  a  business 
letter,  a  third  on  the  composition  of  such  a  letter, 
and  others  on  letters  of  various  kinds.  One  chap- 
ter is  devoted  to  the  Making  of  Contracts  by  Mail 
and  by  Telegraph,  and  another  to  Telegrams  and 
Cablegrams.  The  book  presents  in  interesting 
form  just  the  information  that  one  must  have  in 
order  to  conduct  a  correspondence  properly,  and 
it  provides  for  sufficient  practice  on  each  point. 
Practical  questions  and  exercises  are  abundant 
throughout. 

THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 

BOSTON  NEW  YORK  CHICAGO  ATLANTA  DALLAS  SAN  FRANCISCO 


MACMILLAN'S    COMMERCIAL    SERIES 

Edited  by  CHEESMAN  A.  HERRICK 

President  of  Girard  College,  formerly  Director  of  School  of  Commerce 

Philadelphia  Central  High  School 


Altmaier's  Commercial  Correspondence  with  Postal  Information 

A  simple,  practical  textbook  widely  used  with  great  success. 

Bigelow  and  Arnold's  Elements  of  Business  Arithmetic 

A  practical,  elementary  treatment  of  the  subject  suitable  for  use  in  the  last  years  of  the  grammar 
school  or  the  first  years  of  the  high  school  course. 

Bogle's  Comprehensive  Bookkeeping 

A  complete  manual  for  the  use  of  students  in  commercial  courses.  Blanks  and  a  Teacher's  Man- 
ual, made  to  accompany  this  text,  are  available  at  moderate  prices,  and  these  books  form  a  good 
working  basis  for  the  commercial  course  in  secondary  schools. 

Herrick's  The  Meaning  and  Practice  of  Commercial  Education 

This  book  explains  the  purpose  and  describes  the  actual  working  of  commercial  schools.  It 
treats  commercial  education  from  various  points  of  view,  and  shows  that  this  form  of  instruction 
is  a  result  of  present  economic  conditions  and  a  natural  step  in  our  national  development. 

Herrick's  History  of  Commerce  and  Industry 

In  preparation. 

Hoover's  Salesmanship 

A  straightforward  presentation  of  the  principles  of  selling  especially  adapted  to  the  use  of  stu- 
dents in  commercial  courses.  It  presents  the  psychology  and  the  ethics  of  square  dealing,  and 
gives  general  principles  of  salesmanship  rather  than  specific  directions  for  special  cases. 

Thurston's  Business  Arithmetic  for  Secondary  Schools 

The  book  is  particularly  fitted  for  use  in  commercial  courses,  but  it  may  be  used  in  any  practical 
course  in  high  school  arithmetic.  It  deals  with  processes  and  business  forms  used  in  modern 
commercial  practice. 


Trotter's  Geography  of  Commerce 


This  book  interprets  the  activities  of  men  and  of  organizations  of  men  as  they  are  dependent  upon 
physical  conditions. 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

64-66  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 

BOSTON  CHICAGO  DALLAS  ATLANTA  SAN  FRANCISCO 


REFERENCE    BOOKS    ON   COMMER- 
CIAL  SUBJECTS 


Adams .     . 
Adams  and 

Sumner 
Bastable 
Bastable 
Briscoe 
Briscoe 
Brown 
Carlton 
Cheyney 
Clare  . 
Clark  . 
Clark  . 
Clark  . 

COMAN    . 
COMAN   . 

cunningh 

McArthur 
Davenport 
Ely  .     .     . 
Ely  .     .     . 
Ely  .     .     . 
Fisher 
Fisher 

FiSK        .      . 
GiBBINS      . 

Gow      .     . 
Graham  and 
Oliver 


Graham  and 
Oliver  .     . 


Graham  and 
Oliver  .     . 


Advertising  and  Its  Mental  Laws $L50 

Labor  Problems 1.60 

Theory  of  International  Trade 1.10 

Public  Finance 3.50 

Economics  of  Business 1.50 

Economics  of  Efficiency 1.50 

International  Trade  and  Exchange 1.50 

Education  and  Industrial  Evolution 1.25 

Industrial  and  Social  History  of  England     .     .     .  1.40 

A.  B.  C.  of  Foreign  Exchange 1.25 

Essentials  of  Economic  Theory 2.00 

Distribution  of  Wealth 3.00 

Control  of  the  Trusts 1.00 

Industrial  History  of  the  United  States  ....  1.60 

Economic  Beginnings  of  the  Far  West    ....  4.00 

Outlines  of  English  Industrial  History    ....  1..50 

The  Economics  of  Enterprise 2.25 

Evolution  of  Industrial  Society 1.25 

Property  and  Contract 4.00 

Monopolies  and  Trusts 1.25 

Nature  of  Capital  and  Income 3.00 

Rate  of  Interest 3.00 

International  Comm-ercial  Policies      .     .     .     .     .  1.25 

History  of  Commerce  in  Europe 90 

Marine  Insurance 1.50 

French  Commercial  Practice, 

Parti 75 

Partn 1.00 

German  Commercial  Practice, 

Parti 75 

Partn 1.25 

Spanish  Commercial  Practice, 

Part  I 75 

Partn 1.25 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

64-66    FIFTH    AVENUE,  NEW    YORK 
BOSTON  CHICAGO  DALLAS  ATLANTA  SAN    FRANCISCO 


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